Private equity giant KKR said yesterday that it’s forming a new company to back plays in the ophthalmology space, tapping a well-known expert in the field to lead its new Falcon Vision business.
Based in Menlo Park, Calif., Falcon Vision is slated to collaborate with Flying L Partners and Bill Link, the co-founder of Advanced Medical Optics, Chiron Vision and Versant Ventures, KKR said.
“Ophthalmology is an important and attractive area for innovation given the unmet need across multiple disease categories, an aging population and the quality-of-life consequences of vision loss,” Link said in prepared remarks. “We are eager to collaborate with Falcon Vision to further our mission of supporting innovative companies to create value in the space.”
“There is a significant opportunity to accelerate much-needed therapies in the ophthalmic sector with flexible capital and operational guidance,” added KKR healthcare strategic growth head Ali Satvat. “We are excited to work with the proven team at Flying L Partners to provide companies with the resources that they need in order to advance new products to treat ophthalmic diseases and preserve vision for millions of patients.”
