About

Diseases of the posterior segment of the eye are increasing considerably, partly due to an ageing population (almost 20% of the population of Europe now over 65). Despite accounting for approximately 55% of ocular conditions, only 5% of ocular product sales target the posterior segment due to the technical difficulties in developing safe, effective and easy-to-use formulations.

Age-related Macular Degeneration and Diabetic retinopathy are some of the main cause of blindness and severe impairment of vision in patients. These diseases represent a considerable burden on patients and healthcare systems throughout the world. ORBITAL has the primary objective of training excellent early stage researchers (ESRs) and developing the next generation of research leaders and drivers. There is a clear unmet clinical need for efficient, safe, non-invasive and patient-friendly strategies for the treatment of prevalent diseases of the posterior segment of the eye.

Collaborative research for innovative results

With a necessary collaborative network of European and global experts, from academic, clinical and industrial sectors, ESRs will be exposed to an integrated and complementary network of expertise in materials science, nanotechnology, animal modeling, enhanced in-vitro testing, analytical chemistry and drug discovery. ORBITAL is an intersectoral consortium with extensive experience in generating innovative technologies and training new researchers. ESRs will be exposed to a broad scientific landscape of complementary disciplines. With the combined skills and knowledge of the consortium, ESRs will be provided with the network, skills and knowledge to develop their careers while the extensive mobility of researchers will lead to increased knowledge transfer and collaborative research.

This project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (grant agreement – No 813440)