Science Strategic Plan

Introduction

For over 50 years, the Foundation Fighting Blindness has remained steadfast in pursuing its urgent mission of driving the research that will provide preventions, treatments, and cures for individuals affected by retinitis pigmentosa, Usher syndrome, Stargardt disease, Leber congenital amaurosis, age-related macular degeneration, and more. There are three pillars that underpin our mission and guide our work:

  • Comprehensive Research Portfolio of grants and awards.
  • Collaboration with partners to enhance and/or accelerate our goals.
  • Community Education to drive greater awareness and understanding of mission-related priorities for all internal and external stakeholders.

These focus areas have remained the same throughout the Foundation's history. Every five years, we take a closer look at these areas to find important opportunities that align with current advancements in the field. By focusing on the most promising areas, we can make progress that stays true to our mission. These opportunities help guide our funding decisions and key programs, ensuring we continue to push for new treatments for people affected by inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) and dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Purpose

The fiscal year 2025–2029 Science Strategic Plan is developed with a single, overarching goal:

To drive research projects and activities to overcome barriers to translating preclinical research into clinical trials for individuals affected by inherited retinal diseases and dry AMD.

Upon completing this strategic plan, we will measure progress toward addressing barriers for translating our funded research to effective treatments for patients with IRDs and dry AMD. Our milestones include establishing validated clinical endpoints, funding restorative therapy research projects, creating innovative disease models, publishing regulatory guidance, advancing genetic insights, nurturing talent, fostering strategic collaborations, and promoting awareness.

Desired Outcomes

Upon completion of this strategic plan, we will have made significant strides toward developing effective treatments for patients with IRDs and dry AMD.

Our progress will be marked by:

  1. The establishment of three validated outcome measures to serve as reliable benchmarks in clinical trials, enhancing the relevance and clinical implications of our results.
  2. The cultivation and funding of three restorative therapy research projects with different approaches specifically targeting late-stage disease, broadening our understanding and approach to treating individuals at this disease stage.
  3. The creation of six innovative disease models for IRDs and dry AMD to propel potential treatments from the research phase to the clinic, accelerating the path to patient care.
  4. The publication of guidance for implementing immune mitigation protocols related to retinal diseases during disease progression and as a result of therapeutic interventions.
  5. The funding of research to understand the pathology and mechanism of disease for as many IRD genes as feasible.
  6. The release of an updated, commercially available IRD gene testing panel, offering the most current and comprehensive
    genetic insights for diagnosis and treatment planning.
  7. Talent recruitment and development of the next generation of research scientists focused on IRDs.
  8. Strategic collaborations to further the work of this strategic plan.
  9. Broad awareness and education of our work, both externally and internally, emphasizing the science initiatives within this strategic plan.

Each of these milestones represents a significant step forward in our mission to overcome barriers for translating research to treatments for IRDs and dry AMD.