ZEISS Medical Technology and Boehringer Ingelheim announce long-term collaboration

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ZEISS Medical Technology and Boehringer Ingelheim have announced a long-term collaboration to develop predictive analytics to enable early detection of eye diseases and more personalized treatments to prevent vision loss for people with serious eye diseases.¹

The companies announced this collaboration in a joint press release, where they stated the partnership brings together the 2 companies' “expertise in ophthalmological technology, data analytics, algorithms and the development of first-in-class treatments to detect early and treat retinal diseases before irreversible vision loss occurs.”¹

According to the press release, more than 300 million people worldwide are at risk today of losing their eyesight due to diseases leading to functional loss of the retina. The new partnership will focus on identifying markers of early stages of retinal diseases by leveraging ZEISS Medical Technology's cloud-connected devices and AI-assisted analysis of massive image data sets.¹

Euan S Thomson, PhD, head of the ophthalmology strategic business unit and head of the digital business unit for ZEISS Medical Technology discussed the importance of the collaboration and the role ZEISS will play in the press release.

"At ZEISS, we have long understood that where collaboration thrives, innovation emerges," said Thomson. "With our announcement today with Boehringer Ingelheim, we're building on our strategy to innovate through partnerships in order to make breakthrough discoveries to combat vision loss and improve people's lives. Enabled by our ZEISS Medical Ecosystem and the platform's ability to aggregate massive data sets for analysis, we're strongly positioned to establish new partnerships in pursuit of research yet to be investigated, to accelerate access to future technologies and markets, and to help clinicians provide earlier detection and more personalized and precise care for their patients."

Ulrike Graefe-Mody, PhD, head of retinal health at Boehringer Ingelheim, also weighed in on the partnership and its importance in the press release.

"Our partnership with ZEISS Medical Technology will allow us to develop precision therapies delivering the right treatment for the right patient at the right time to prevent vision loss by intervening before irreversible damage occurs. It is part of our commitment to champion early detection and treatment and will contribute to transforming the lives of people with serious eye disease," said Graefe-Mody.

References:

1. ZEISS and Boehringer Ingelheim join forces to develop early detection of eye diseases and prevent vision loss. Press Release. Released October 4, 2023. Accessed October 4, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zeiss-and-boehringer-ingelheim-join-forces-to-develop-early-detection-of-eye-diseases-and-prevent-vision-loss-301944191.html