Balamurali "Bala" K. Ambati, MD, PhD, MBA, is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s youngest doctor, having graduated from medical school at age 17. 

In this episode, Dr. Ambati explains to our host Paul Karpecki, OD, that this accelerated pace gave him a head start meeting great people, exploring the field, doing deep dives in research, and building a good network.

Dr. Ambati has had diversified roles over his career, and said, “It’s been great to meld clinical work with research. When you take the patch off somebody, that smile of them seeing again is something special.”

In addition to owning an ophthalmology practice in Oregon, Dr. Ambati is President [of iVeena Delivery Systems, a company Dr. Karpecki says is ”really making incredible strides in advancing a treatment for keratoconus”.

The company’s candidate for treatment of keratoconus is IVMED-80, which has received orphan drug designation from the FDA. IVMED-80 is designed to restore the activity of lysyl oxidase (LOX), an enzyme responsible for natural collagen cross-linking in the cornea, which has been shown to be deficient in keratoconus patients. The company is also developing IVMED-85, for the treatment of myopia. Both drugs deliver copper to the eye, which increases LOX activity in both the cornea and sclera. 

iVeena’s research started years ago with an experiment in corneal cells, comparing donor corneas to corneas of patients that had keratoconus. Dr. Ambati said, “The journey from idea to impact is a long one that requires patience and perseverance. I think it’s key initially to secure the IP or the good patent attorney and put a team together around you to develop the business and the product.” 

Dr. Ambati gives a few tips for successfully moving from concept to Phase 3, including:

• Bring the right people together.
• Decide what you need to raise money for.
• Decide what to spend that money on. 
• Raise enough money to get you through a phase 1/2a study. 
• Show that there are leaders in your field that are willing to back you.

Click play to hear Dr. Ambati discuss his fascinating journey!