The Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF) has received a $5 million donation from the John and Daria Barry Foundation, the largest gift in the nonprofit’s history. This contribution will establish the Treatment Accelerator Initiative, aimed at speeding the development of new therapies for glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness.

The Barry Foundation’s investment will be distributed over 5 years. Daria Becker Barry, who was diagnosed with glaucoma in 2012 and has experienced vision loss from the disease, said the gift was intended to raise awareness of glaucoma as a neurodegenerative condition and to accelerate treatment options.

The Treatment Accelerator Initiative is designed to move laboratory discoveries more quickly into clinical testing, with an emphasis on neuroprotection, an area of research focused on preserving the optic nerve. It will also provide funding for early-stage projects that often go unsupported by traditional funders, while fostering collaboration among scientists, physicians and biotech developers.

Glaucoma Research Foundation leaders said the initiative builds on their existing Catalyst for a Cure program, which has identified several treatment targets. With glaucoma expected to affect 112 million people worldwide by 2040, the group called on additional donors to join the effort. GP