From placenta to practice. A fresh take on regenerative eye care is taking shape.
Eyes on the future…and on the placenta. Celularity Inc. (New Jersey, USA) has joined forces with DefEYE, Inc. (Florida, USA), a recently established ophthalmic biologics company, to accelerate the development and distribution of regenerative therapies for eye care.
“The partnership reflects a strategic opportunity to align for both companies and signals the start of a promising new chapter for regenerative therapies in eye care,” said Celularity Chairman and CEO Dr. Robert Hariri in a news release.
The collaboration grants DefEYE exclusive access to Celularity’s ophthalmic biologics portfolio while designating Celularity as the exclusive contract manufacturer for DefEYE’s ocular products.
“This strategic collaboration with Celularity strengthens our capabilities and core competencies,” said Dr. Rob Sambursky, CEO of DefEYE. “With Celularity’s deep scientific and manufacturing expertise, we believe that we will be well positioned to scale and deliver meaningful clinical management solutions to both physicians and patients.”
According to the announcement, the agreement follows Celularity’s in-kind investment in DefEYE’s $12 million Series Seed Preferred Equity funding round, which supports the launching and scaling of DefEYE’s product line.
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Building on momentum
DefEYE was created in 2025 as an independent spin-out from the Verséa Ophthalmics (Florida, USA), retaining its core leadership and product expertise. Since its original 2022 launch, the company has reported nearly 70% sales growth year over year, reflecting continued interest in biologic therapies for ocular surface disease and surgery.
Its current portfolio consists of decellularized biologic solutions derived from human placenta, including:
- Biovance. A single-layer decellularized amniotic basement membrane allograft used in ocular surface reconstruction. The membrane retains extracellular matrix proteins that support epithelial growth and healing, making it suitable for procedures like pterygium repair, corneal and conjunctival related injuries or defects.
- Biovance 3L Ocular. A tri-layer version of the Biovance graft that provides an additional physical barrier for surgical application. Its structure preserves tissue plane boundaries and lessens the risk of postoperative adhesions. The product is designed for use in moderate to severe ocular surface injuries or reconstruction cases.
- Interfyl. A flowable human connective tissue matrix derived from the chronic plate of the placenta. It is used to fill irregular wound beds and to support healing in damaged tissue, complementing amniotic grafts when direct membrane replacement is not ideal.
DefEYE is also pursuing future collaboration with Celularity to expand its regenerative product offerings.
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The takeaway
This latest Celularity-DefEYE partnership shines a light on how placental-derived materials could be stepping up from niche to necessary, especially in treating ocular surface disease and aiding surgical reconstruction.
This content is intended exclusively for healthcare professionals and eye care practitioners. It is not intended for the general public. Products or therapies discussed may not be registered or approved in all jurisdictions, including Singapore.