Astellas subsidiary Xyphos will partner with GO to discover novel antibodies against two glycoprotein targets. SciNeuro picks up abandoned GSK programs in cardiovascular medicine for potential use in the neurodegeneration space.

A preview of the emerging health care companies profiled in the current issue of Start-Up. This month's profile group, "The Eyes Still Have It," features profiles of Alacrity Biosciences, Eyeon Therapeutics, Mobius Therapeutics and OcuCure Therapeutics. Plus these Start-Ups Across Health Care: CyberHeart, GlycoVaxyn, TheraCardia and Vicus Therapeutics.

Tubulin is attracting increasing attention as a potential target to halt angiogenesis in the eye as well as in tumors. OcuCure Therapeutics Inc. is one of several firms developing it to treat macular degeneration. If this approach proves to be as effective as anti-VEGF approaches like Lucentis, OcuCure could be positioned to win over a significant share of the market as its drug would be administered topically, not via injection in the eye.

Over the past few years's there's been no shortage of venture capital investments in companies developing potential treatments for diseases of the eye. Still, investors continue to find entrepreneurs with innovative new approaches to treat age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and other vision-imparing diseases.