The Centre for Eye Research Australia has established Cerulea Clinical Trials, a new not-for-profit ophthalmic clinical trial centre.

Cerulea, based in the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, builds on CERA’s strong track record of investigator-led clinical research and delivering industry-sponsored clinical trials.

The new centre is a fully owned subsidiary of CERA and shares our vision of a world free from vision loss and blindness.

Cerulea is backed by a $10 million investment from Breakthrough Victoria, an independent agency which manages an investment fund set up by the Victorian Government.

It delivers clinical studies led and initiated by CERA researchers, as well as commercial clinical trials sponsored by local and international pharmaceutical and medtech companies.

The new facilities allow us to significantly expand our clinical trials activity, giving more Australians the opportunity to take part in clinical trials and providing earlier access to emerging new therapies, including gene and cell therapies, to people living with vision loss and blindness.

Cerulea plays an important role in CERA’s vision for a world from vision loss and blindness.

Cerulea’s location, only a short walk from our discovery science laboratories and genetic engineering hub in East Melbourne, fosters collaboration between clinical and discovery researchers, strengthening CERA’s bench to bedside approach to research and accelerating the progress of promising new findings from the lab to the clinic.

Income from Cerulea will be invested back into vision research – to improve the clinical trial experience of participants and research infrastructure and to support the vital discovery research that happens in our labs.

The inaugural CEO Michelle Gallaher is a renowned clinical trials innovator with deep experience in the use of AI and digital technology to support recruitment and trial design and brings a wealth of experience to her role.