A big thank you to our company partners!
We are very proud of our corporate partnerships. Every day, their support is improving the lives of people affected by macular disease and we can’t thank them enough.
If you would like to find out more about working together, please get in touch with Sarah Jarman at sarah.jarman@macularsociety.org
Here are some examples of how we work in partnership with companies:
Our current partners
- AbbVie
- Apellis
- Astellas
- Bayer
- Boehringer Ingelheim
- Next
- Novartis
- Ocuplan
- OKKO Health
- Ora
- OXSIGHT
- Roche
- Savoo
- Serious Readers
- Siloton
- Syncona
Some previous partners
We have been working with global biopharmaceutical company AbbVie, previously Allergan, since 2019. From cake baking and dressing up in yellow to raise money during Macular Week, AbbVie has also provided grants which have enabled us to carry out research so we can better understand how people with macular disease feel about their treatment and support. And, in turn, we have worked with AbbVie to help them better understand the people’s experience of living with macular disease.
"I was diagnosed with Diabetic Macular Oedema (DMO) in 2011. It has been incredibly difficult for me – I lost the job I loved and felt helpless for a long time. Sharing my story with eye health professionals has given me a sense of purpose and, by working with AbbVie and others, I feel that I am in some way helping to improve the lives of other people living with DMO."
- Berni
"The Macular Society does so much to support people affected by macular disease. It has been a pleasure to work with the team over several years - we are incredibly proud to be a corporate partner and to support the charity’s activities."
- Natalie Bennett, Senior Communications & Patient Relations Manager
We started working with Apellis, a global biopharmaceutical company in 2020, helping them to understand the experiences of people affected by macular disease, specifically advanced dry AMD. Apellis has provided grants to the Macular Society to enable us to support people through our services such as our counselling service as well as our Patients Insights Research Project. We have also provided insights from people living with advanced dry AMD to Apellis to support the development of the website – www.dryamd.co.uk – which aims to support people living with dry AMD.
"Working with the Macular Society has been a collaborative partnership that we sincerely respect and appreciate. They are courageous and guided by their mission to beat macular disease, grounded in science and research, and deeply committed to improving the lives of those with macular disease, their families and friends."
- Beverly Lui, Patient Advocacy Lead International (pictured)
We have been working with Astellas, a multi-national pharmaceutical company, since 2020 to build their understanding of the impact of macular disease. They have provided a grant to support some Macular Society research which aims to ensure we are reaching everyone who needs our support.
"The work being done by the Macular Society is helping the team at Astellas understand the true impact of living with Dry AMD/Geographic Atrophy. Through our collaboration, we are bringing the real life experiences and voices of patients into the work we are doing. This, we believe will drive meaningful outcomes and true value for patients and their caregivers."
- Stephen Head, Senior Director, Patient Partnerships, Patient Centricity
Bayer is a multinational pharmaceutical and life sciences company and we have been working together since 2017. For example, we review the company’s patient support materials to make sure they are accessible for people with macular disease. Bayer has also provided grants to support our work, including our series of Macular and Me webinars and our research to understand what people with macular disease need. In 2022, we worked with Bayer on a TV ad starring Twiggy which has helped to build awareness of macular disease.
Boehringer Ingelheim is a pharmaceutical company. To help inform their research for new treatments, we have been working together since 2020 to improve their understanding of the impact of macular disease. For example, we have worked with the company to develop podcasts sharing people’s stories and they have also provided grants to support our work.
Since 2018, Next Plc, the British clothing, footwear and home products retailer, has donated to our work, including our Advice and Information service and our counselling programme.
We have been working with Novartis, an international pharmaceutical company, since 2019 on initiatives including the ‘See What’s Next’ campaign, supporting people living with wet age related macular degeneration. Novartis has also supported the Macular Society’s work by providing grants to fund our services and, in turn we have worked together to help build the company’s understanding of what it is like to live with macular disease.
"As someone who has lived with macular disease for more than 10 years, I was very keen to share my first-hand experiences to help other people. Novartis’ See What’s Next campaign gave me the opportunity to do just that. Macular disease has had a huge impact on my life but there are things that you can do to make life that bit easier and help you remain more independent."
- Liz
OcuPlan, part of Simplyhealth, offers care plans for people with macular disease and other eye conditions. With a nationwide network of optician practices and consultant ophthalmologists, their plans enable patients to receive regular monitoring to help preserve their vision. We have been working together since 2022 to help OcuPlan understand what is important for people with macular disease and to ensure people receive the very best information at the right time.
OKKO Health is developing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered app to empower people with macular disease to manage their condition. We have been working with OKKO since 2020 to help them understand the needs of people with macular disease and to ensure that the app is as fit for purpose as possible.
Ora is a clinical research organisation, specialising in ophthalmology. Ora sponsored the Macular Society’s Annual Conference in 2021 and we are continuing to work together to help build awareness and understanding of the importance of clinical trials.
“Working with the Macular Society has been seamless and professional. Their aim to beat macular disease aligns with the goals Ora has to conduct clinical research in ophthalmology and bring new eye health therapies to market that benefit patients and their quality of life.”
- Tim Kelleher, Senior Director, OraNet Europe
We started working with OXSIGHT in 2019 to support the development of their smart glasses, ‘Onyx’, for people with macular disease. OXSIGHT also kindly sponsored our Annual Conference in 2020 and the company has also helped fund our services through donations.
We have been working with Roche, a multinational pharmaceutical company, since 2019. We take part in their patient advisory boards to help improve their understanding of the impact of living with macular disease. Roche has also supported our services and research through grants and they sponsored our AI in Ophthalmology conference in 2021. We are also working together on our shared public policy and government affairs priorities, including The Eyes Have It campaign which aims to raise the profile of eye health.
"We enjoy working with the Macular Society on a wide range of projects, especially in driving awareness for a greater focus on eye health, the staff team are highly knowledgeable and in tune with an active patient community."
- Conn O’Neill, Public Affairs Partner
Savoo is a free online fundraising platform where you can raise money for the Macular Society but at no cost to you. Here’s how you can help:
- Use Savoo Search as your default search engine, and Savoo will donate 1p for every search.
- Shop online with Savoo’s voucher codes and deals to save money and raise funds for the Macular Society at the same time.
To get started, visit www.savoo.co.uk, register for an account and select the Macular Society as your chosen charity.
Serious Readers is a UK company which manufactures high performance lights to help people read more clearly and enjoy cherished hobbies in comfort. The company was founded by Alex Pratt over 35 years ago when his mum was struggling to see because of her macular disease and he believed that better light was critical. Today, many Serious Light owners have macular disease and so we are working together to help build awareness of our services and reach more people affected.
Siloton is developing a personal Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) device to enable people with AMD and other sight loss conditions to be able to take their own OCT images without needing to visit the clinic. We have been working in partnership since 2021 to help the team at Siloton to understand what is important for people living with macular disease.
“Working with the team at the Macular Society has been fantastic. They have been extremely supportive of Siloton and have enabled us to get a real insight into the challenges patients face, and how they may interact with our technology. We are confident that what we have learned through these interactions will translate into a superior product that patients find easier to use. We look forward to continuing to work with the Macular Society for years to come.”
- Dr Ben Hunt, Chief Commercial Officer, Siloton Limited
Syncona Ltd is a healthcare investment company which founds, builds and funds life sciences companies in areas of high, unmet medical need. The Syncona Foundation, the company’s charitable arm, has been supporting the Macular Society since 2021, helping to fund our vital services.
Churchill Retirement Living manages over 200 retirement developments across the UK and we were delighted they have supported our annual Tea for MD event, helping to raise money for the Macular Society and, at the same time, awareness of our services.
PanAmerican Seed® is the world's leading breeder and producer of F1 and open-pollinated flower seed, including a disease-resistant Beacon® Impatiens. Each year, the company donates a percentage of its global Beacon Impatiens sales to a less-widely known cause and, inspired by the experience of one of their team members, in 2022, they decided to shine a light on macular disease by partnering with the Macular Society and Spectrios, a US based sight loss organisation.
Vision Express is a high street optician with over 600 stores across the UK and Ireland and we were delighted to work in partnership for ten years from 2013 to 2023. The team at Vision Express raised money to support the Macular Society’s services through a mix of colleague and customer facing activities, not least featuring the very adorable Marvin the Mole! And, every day their eye care professionals are supporting people with macular disease and signposting them to our services.