Fannin Partners has been awarded a $300,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI) to advance a first-in-class, non-VEGF–targeted therapeutic for wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), targeting a disease-selective angiogenic pathway in patients who fail to benefit from standard anti-VEGF therapy.
HOUSTON, Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Fannin Partners has been awarded a $300,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI) to advance a first-in-class, non-VEGF–targeted therapeutic for wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), targeting a disease-selective angiogenic pathway in patients who fail to benefit from standard anti-VEGF therapy.
The program focuses on Secretogranin 3 (SCG3), a disease-selective driver of pathological angiogenesis and permeability. Inhibition of SCG3 has been shown to reduce neovascularization and vascular leakage with efficacy and safety potentially comparable to, or better than, VEGF-inhibiting drugs. This NEI-funded effort will generate foundational efficacy and early safety data to advance this novel treatment towards clinical development.
Wet AMD is a leading cause of blindness, with more than 200 million people worldwide affected by neovascular disease. Despite widespread use of anti-VEGF therapies, 30–40% of patients derive little or no benefit due to primary non-response or acquired resistance, leaving a substantial unmet medical need with limited alternative pharmacologic options.
The NEI-funded work will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Michael E. Boulton, Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), an internally recognized investigator with 20 years of NIH-funded research in retinal disease and neovascular pathology. The award will support proof-of-concept studies in validated wet AMD models as well as early safety evaluations.
"There is a clear need for safer and more effective treatments for wet AMD, said Dr. Boulton. Targeting a disease-restricted angiogenic pathway represents a promising new approach. Our collaboration with Fannin on these therapeutics has a strong potential to improve outcomes for patients."
"NEI's support underscores the strong therapeutic rationale behind pursuing a non-VEGF, disease-selective pathway for patients who are not responding to anti-VEGF therapies," added Atul Varadhachary, MD, PhD, Managing Partner at Fannin. "This award enables the efficacy and safety work needed to advance this much-needed therapeutic candidate toward IND-enabling studies."
Non-VEGF targeted Raptamer therapeutics represent a fundamentally new option for patients who do not respond to anti-VEGF therapy. The lead candidate, RP460, is a high-affinity Raptamer (KD 153 pM) that suppresses endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation, all hallmark processes of angiogenesis, and demonstrates robust anti-angiogenic activity in vivo.
Beyond wet AMD, the program also addresses retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a severe condition in premature infants for which the only available pharmacologic treatment is anti-VEGF agent that can interfere with normal vascular development. Fannin's Raptamer ophthalmology pipeline is designed to address ROP as well as a broader range of retinal and angiogenic diseases beyond wet AMD.
About Raptamers
Raptamers are peptidomimetic DNA oligomers generated using Fannin's in-house Raptamer discovery platform. Raptamers incorporate proprietary chemical base modifications to expand molecular diversity and functionality beyond natural nucleic acids and are designed to achieve high affinity and specificity for disease-relevant targets.
Fannin's Raptamer platform has generated more than 70 high-affinity Raptamers for therapeutic and diagnostic applications, and has supported numerous internal programs and external collaborations. In addition to its ophthalmology programs, Fannin is advancing Raptamer-based therapeutics in oncology, immunology, fibrosis, and gynecology and reproductive health.
About Fannin
Established in 2014, Fannin is one of the most active early-stage life sciences product development groups in the U.S., advancing a dozen therapeutic and platform programs at various stages of development. With over $270 million invested across its programs—$78 million in grant funding and $190 million from investors—Fannin partners with innovators to translate scientific breakthroughs into clinical realities. Its nationally recognized talent development program has trained more than 350 alumni now active across the biopharma ecosystem. For more information, visit www.FanninInnovation.com.
Media Contact
Serena Miggins, Fannin Partners, 1 7139665844, [email protected], www.fannininnovation.com
SOURCE Fannin Partners
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