Q BioMed said its technology partner, Mannin, has received a $7.5M grant from the German state of Saxony. Mannin is a research-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of therapeutics for vascular diseases. Q BioMed and Mannin have been partners since 2015.

The overall objective of the grant is to fund the development of novel pharmaceuticals and biologic treatments for glaucoma. The approval of the grant means that Q BioMed and Mannin can significantly accelerate the development of these therapeutics.

Mannin is leveraging 2 distinct modes of action to reduce the intraocular pressure that causes glaucoma, utilizing different routes of administration and dosing regimens. Mannin is currently working on the preclinical development of a small-molecule pharmaceutical eye-drop as well as a novel recombinant protein injectable biologic. This approach increases the probability of success of developing a new therapy that is optimized for the needs of glaucoma patients, the companies say.