Helio Vision

Helio Vision, Inc. operated as a biotechnology company with a focus on developing therapies for proliferative disorders of the eye. Founded in 2016 by Dean Eliott, Tomasz Stryjewski, and Josef von Rickenbach, the company was headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. The founding team's expertise was central to the company's mission; Dr. Eliott served as the Director of the Retina Service at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) and was an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, while Dr. Stryjewski was also a retinal surgeon at MEEI. Josef von Rickenbach acted as the company's President and CEO.

The company's primary business was the development of small molecule-based therapeutics to address eye diseases, specifically proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). PVR is a serious inflammatory condition that can lead to retinal scarring and blindness and is the main cause of failure in retinal reattachment surgery. This condition affects up to 10% of patients who undergo surgery for retinal detachment and over 50% of those having retina surgery after an open globe injury. Helio Vision's lead product candidate, ADX-2191, was developed to treat PVR, a condition with no approved treatment. This therapeutic option received Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Helio Vision's business model was centered on research and development within the drug discovery and biotechnology industries, with the goal of bringing its therapeutic candidates through clinical trials. The company successfully raised $1.77 million in funding over three rounds, including an angel round in August 2016 and subsequent seed rounds. In January 2019, Helio Vision was acquired by Aldeyra Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology firm focused on immune-mediated diseases. The acquisition, valued at an upfront payment of approximately $10 million in common stock with potential future milestone payments, integrated ADX-2191 into Aldeyra's late-stage pipeline. Following the acquisition, the founders of Helio Vision continued to work with Aldeyra as consultants to advance the development of ADX-2191.

Keywords: proliferative vitreoretinopathy, retinal disease, ophthalmology, drug discovery, biotechnology, small molecule therapeutics, retinal surgery complications, orphan drug, ADX-2191, Aldeyra Therapeutics, Dean Eliott, Tomasz Stryjewski, Josef von Rickenbach, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, retinal detachment, eye diseases, ocular inflammation, fibroproliferative disorder, clinical-stage pharma, intravitreal methotrexate