UC-Irvine receives $2 million donation

Irvine, CA-The philanthropic arm of Allergan Inc., The Allergan Foundation, donated $2 million to the University of California-Irvine's (UC-Irvine) department of ophthalmology. The donation will further strengthen the department's research agenda and clinical care. The gift was "the largest donation ever to ophthalmology," according to a joint press release from the university and Allergan.

In the future, UC-Irvine would like to develop a new facility called The Eye Institute. The facility would be dedicated to teaching, clinical care, and research on retinal diseases including diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, retinal degeneration, and retinitis pigmentosa.

If the proposal is approved and funded, Allergan's contribution will be used to support retinal research within the Institute and the department of ophthalmology.

Some of the nation's top researchers in retinal disease, glaucoma, corneal disease, and refractive surgery work at UC-Irvine, and Allergan's donation will help them meet complex medical and surgical eye- care needs, conduct clinical research, develop programs and technologies in conjunction with industry, and seek clinical solutions to serious and debilitating eye-threatening diseases.

"As the world's fastest-growing company in the ophthalmology market, this gift underscores Allergan's longtime commitment to UC-Irvine and to the outstanding work it is spearheading to develop new vision-saving treatments and technologies," said David E.I. Pyott, Allergan's chairman of the board and chief executive officer. "It also exemplifies our continued investment in the development of our local community in which we live and work."