Home - Visus Therapeutics™

OUR MISSION

A LIFETIME OF CLEAR VISION

Visus Therapeutics™ is a clinical-stage company developing innovative medicines to improve vision for people around the world. Our lead program is the pursuit of developing the world’s first presbyopia-correcting eye drop with the potential to last a minimum of eight hours.

OUR GOAL

RESTORING NEAR VISION
TO AGING EYES

By the time most people reach the age of 50, they will develop presbyopia, a progressive condition of the eye that makes it difficult to see at close distances. There are no FDA-approved medicines for presbyopia, and the most common treatments include glasses, contact lenses, or surgery. Visus is dedicated to helping the billions of adults globally who suffer from this condition through the development of its investigational medicine, BRIMOCHOL™ (carbachol + brimonidine tartrate). BRIMOCHOL is being studied as a prescription eye drop designed to correct the loss of near vision associated with presbyopia.

Learn more about our investigational drug pipeline

ABOUT
PRESBYOPIA

Presbyopia is a natural, inevitable part of the aging process and the most common cause of vision impairment. Loss of near vision typically begins when adults reach their mid-40s, and the condition is almost universal by age 50. The vast majority of people will experience presbyopia in their lifetime. It is estimated that presbyopia will affect 2.1 billion people globally in 2020, with approximately 123 million residing in the US.

Learn more about presbyopia

MEET THE SCIENTIST WHO DISCOVERED BRIMOCHOL™

Herb Kaufman, MD, age 26

That Visus Therapeutics’ lead product candidate, BRIMOCHOL, was developed by Dr. Herb Kaufman, a celebrated researcher and inventor in ophthalmology, is noteworthy. He is perhaps best known for discovering and developing the world’s first antiviral drug for the treatment of virus infection, which led to the introduction of the combination of steroid and antiviral therapy for stromal keratitis in 1962. This achievement was followed by more than 15 research discoveries over his lifetime, which significantly advanced patient care in ophthalmology and beyond. After retiring from LSU in 2008 from his role as Emeritus Boyd Professor of Ophthalmology and Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, instead of basking in retirement life, Dr Kaufman quietly led a research initiative along with one of his former fellows that would eventually culminate in the development of BRIMOCHOL.

Herb Kaufman, MD: A Lifetime of Landmark Innovations in Ophthalmology and Beyond

Developed world's first antiviral drug effective for treatment of virus infection.

Introduced combination of steroid/antiviral therapy for stromal keratitis.

Determined that epithelial healing problems are due to hemidesmosomal defects.

Introduced trifluridine, the most effective antiviral to date.

First to successfully cryopreserve corneas suitable for cornea transplantation.

Developed use of pimaricin (natamycin) for treatment of fungal keratitis.

Recognized glaucoma after corneal transplantation.

Introduced bandage soft contact lenses and first studied clinical use.

Made modern eye banks possible. Introduced method of removing cornea and placing it in nourishing solution (McCarey-Kaufman Medium), and then in Optisol.

Co-developed clinical specular microscope with William Bourne, MD.

Determined cause of endothelial damage associated with IOL insertion and introduced use of viscoelastics.

Helped develop the clinical confocal microscope.

Introduced and first studied timolol for treatment of glaucoma.

Developed an early refractive surgery, epikeratophakia.

Helped develop excimer laser refractive surgery with Marguerite McDonald, MD.

Introduced use of collagen shields for drug delivery to cornea.

Used Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to become the first to confirm ubiquity of herpes shedding.

Developed drug delivery ring for prolonged drop-free dosing.

Patented the combination of carbachol and brimonidine tartrate (BRIMOCHOL) for the treatment of presbyopia.

OUR TEAM

INSPIRED BY
THE PROMISE
OF SCIENCE

We are a dedicated team of physicians, scientists, and business leaders that works relentlessly toward our goal of delivering a lifetime of clear vision to the patients we serve.

Learn more about our experienced team