C. Randall Harrell, MD
PALM HARBOR, Fla.—The treatment of dry eye has become a multimillion dollar business, with competitors ranging from big pharma conglomerates to small independents all vying for a share of the market. Remedies vary from liquid drops, gels, ointments and heat treatments, and include both prescription and OTC products. Regener-Eyes, a five-year old company based here in Palm Harbor, is promoting a distinctive solution to dry eye in the form of biologic eye drops. Regener-Eyes, a majority-owned subsidiary of Regenerative Processing Plant, LLC, a biopharma manufacturer and developer of regenerative medicine products, offers two products for patients with severe dry eye.

The first, Regener-Eyes Professional Strength Ophthalmic Solution, which has been on the market for several years, is intended as a long-term solution for patients with severe dry eye. A new product, Regener-Eyes Lite, is designed for patients with milder problems. Unlike the professional strength product, it is shelf-stable and does not require refrigeration, making it more convenient to use.

Both products, which are only available by prescription through eye doctors, are self-administered, sterile, preservative-free and are made of anti-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors. These kinds of proteins have been shown to reduce inflammation and help stimulate the ocular surface to heal, repair, and regenerate, according to C. Randall Harrell, MD, who is founder, chairman and CEO of Regener-Eyes.

“Ophthalmology is one of the last areas of medicine where biologics have gotten more of a foothold,” explained Dr. Harrell, who has several decades of experience in regenerative medicine and is also the founder of Regenerative Plant Processing, which serves other medical verticals.


Bob Colucci
“It really started with the amniotic membrane, which has been around for several decades. Instead of having a membrane on their eye that didn’t allow them to see for a period of time, people wanted something more convenient. So we developed an eye drop that had the benefits of having a membrane, without actually having a membrane on your eye.”

Regener-Eyes recently completed a Series A funding round to prepare for the launch of Regener-Eyes Lite, but Dr. Harrell declined to say how much capital the privately-held company raised.

Last year, Regener-Eyes hired Bob Colucci, a well-known optical industry executive, to guide its sales efforts and launch Regener-Eyes Lite. Colucci retired from Essilor last year, having held a succession of top management positions during his three decades with the company. Most recently, he served as chairman of the Essilor Vision Foundation, and president of Essilor of America’s independent distribution division. Prior to Essilor, Colucci worked in contact lens sales.

“We’re working through an in-house sales group which consists of about 10 physician specialists and patient specialists,” Colucci told VMAIL. “The physician specialists work with the doctor on scripting and stocking, and then the patient specialists step in.” Colucci said Regener-Eyes operates a virtual call center to communicate with both doctors and patients. He noted that the call center was set up prior to the coronavirus pandemic, but has been a particularly valuable asset during the lockdown.