RAFARM–Cleveland Clinic: Collaboration-milestone for unmet medical need in Ophthalmology

RAFARM, one of the largest Greek pharmaceutical companies with strong international activity and specialization in Ophthalmology, is taking a step today that transcends borders. Its strategic partnership with Cleveland Clinic, one of the world’s leading medical organizations, is not just a business agreement; it is a leap into the future. A future where a non-invasive treatment promises to radically change the way we treat cicatricial corneal fibrosis.

The need that demands a solution...
Scars on the cornea – the transparent “window” of our eye – are a silent, but deeply burdensome condition. They can result from infections, trauma, burns or even surgery, leaving behind opacities that limit visual acuity.

Today, patients have limited options: managing symptoms with medications or, in the most severe cases, surgery – often with a corneal transplant. However, treatment is not always possible, nor is it available to everyone. Millions of people live with the uncertainty and reduced quality of life that this condition entails.

This is precisely where the innovation of RAFARM and the Cleveland Clinic comes in: a treatment that, with the local application of an already known and widely used pharmaceutical molecule, shows the potential to reduce or even reverse fibrosis. A treatment that can bring real change to patients’ daily lives.

From the laboratory to the light...

At the heart of this effort is Dr. Steven E. Wilson, one of the most distinguished scientists and corneal surgeons at the Cleveland Clinic. For more than 30 years, Dr. Wilson has dedicated his career to the study of corneal wound healing, building a scientific body of work that is now taking on a new dimension through its application in clinical practice.

But even the most groundbreaking scientific discovery needs a partner who can transform it into a treatment available to the world. That’s where RAFARM comes in: with its high level of expertise, the ability to mass-produce sterile ophthalmic formulations, and a team of highly trained specialists, the company undertakes to develop the new drug. From preclinical testing to clinical development and global commercialization, this journey has a Greek stamp.

For Aris Mitsopoulos, Vice President of RAFARM, this partnership is more than a business strategy. It is proof that Greece can be a front-line player on the global pharmaceutical map. “The collaboration with Cleveland Clinic is a strategic milestone for RAFARM and seals our role as a global partner in the field of Ophthalmology,” he states. We are joining forces with an international leader in medical research and innovation, Cleveland Clinic, and creating a channel of expertise aimed at developing a non-invasive treatment for corneal scarring, an unmet medical need. At the same time, this collaboration reflects our commitment to strengthening research, production and innovation capabilities, marking a new era for the pharmaceutical industry in Greece.”

Greece in the spotlight
Behind the data, studies and laboratories, there are patients. People who struggle with the everyday life of reduced vision, who are looking for solutions and hope. For them, the new treatment is not just another medical achievement. It is the promise of a better life.

RAFARM is not a company that simply “follows” developments. With many years of presence in the production of ophthalmic and complex injectable pharmaceutical products, with investments in cutting-edge technology and a strategic extroversion, it has already charted a path of international recognition.

The collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic comes to consolidate this position. It marks the moment when the Greek pharmaceutical industry proves that it can not only keep up with global innovation centers, but also co-shape their future.