CEO Update – January 2026

January 20, 2026

A Message from Bernie Iliakis, President & CEO of CorneaGen 

As we reflect on 2025, I am deeply grateful for the dedication of our team and surgeon partners, whose efforts helped restore sight through 39,000+ surgeries made possible by the precious gift of donated tissue. This achievement represents not only tens of thousands of lives transformed, but also families and communities strengthened. 

It was also the first full year of Cornea Tissue Addition Keratoplasty (CTAK), and the momentum has been remarkable: more than 1,500 procedures to date, 130 surgeons performing CTAK, and adoption expanding beyond the U.S. to Japan, Canada and Saudi Arabia. CTAK’s technology, using the Hersh/Greenstein/Gelles nomogram, has quickly become the most innovative solution for keratoconus treatment. If you perform CTAK , we invite you to join our CTAK User Forum for peer support, best practices and shared insights. 

Looking ahead to 2026, many more countries are actively onboarding CTAK into their practice, and CorneaGen remains focused on effective training, data-driven and surgeon insights, and streamlined logistics to ensure consistent outcomes at scale. Our mission is clear: deliver reliable access to high-quality tissue and technologies that simplify care and maximize impact. None of this is possible without our partners and the broader corneal care community, so thank you for your unwavering commitment to sight restoration. 

As CEO, I often review numbers, but I never lose sight of the human impact behind them. The ripple effect of our work means that not only did we collectively contribute to brighter futures for a record 39,000+ individuals last year through ocular tissue transplant, but we also made an indelible impact on their families and broader communities. Every procedure represents a story: a mother seeing her child’s first steps, a professional returning to the work they love, a neighbor re-engaging with their community. These are the moments that inspire us to keep charging forward.   

Expanding Our Impact in the Gulf Coast 

I’m proud to announce that last month CorneaGen formally joined forces with Lions Eye Bank of Texas at Baylor College of Medicine, marking the next step in an eight-year collaborative relationship. This acquisition strengthens our presence on the Gulf Coast and nationwide, combining their local expertise with CorneaGen’s national infrastructure to deliver greater efficiencies and high-quality ocular tissue, innovative products, and comprehensive services to more surgeons and patients. We are thrilled to have their team on board and the collective impact we will make in 2026! 

Let’s Connect in 2026 

We hope to connect with you again soon. Our team is currently at Hawaiian Eye and Retina Meeting and will also be at the ASCRS Annual Meeting in in Washington, D.C. We’d love the opportunity to meet up and share more about how our tissue products and services can benefit our partners. 

If you’re near or visiting Orlando, South San Francisco or Seattle, we invite you to stop by our newly expanded/remodeled spaces with state-of-the-art labs designed to ensure every tissue is processed with precision and care. Last year, we nearly doubled our footprints in both Orlando and South San Francisco to continue to scale our work to meet the pressing demand of our customers. 

Please reach out to tissue@corneagen.com if you’d like to set up a tour or meet up at an upcoming conference.  

Reflecting on 30 Years in Eye Banking 

I recently shared more about CorneaGen’s work and my 30-year eye banking journey with Ophthalmology Management for their Industry Insider feature. When asked about the most rewarding part of my career, it was hands down: the people – our team, surgeons, researchers, donors and recipients. Take a peek at the interview, which also highlights how this work became very personal to me. 

Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we’re building a future where sight restoration is accessible, outcomes are predictable, and every patient can see what’s possible. Here’s to transforming even more lives in 2026! 

CorneaGen Joins Forces with Lions Eye Bank of Texas  

January 15, 2026

CorneaGen proudly announces its integration of Lions Eye Bank of Texas at Baylor College of Medicine, marking the next step in an eight-year collaborative relationship.  

By combining Lions Eye Bank’s deep local expertise in the Texas Gulf Coast region with CorneaGen’s nationwide infrastructure, we will create greater efficiencies and expand access to quality ocular tissue, innovative products and comprehensive services for more surgeons and their patients. 

The acquisition was finalized in late December 2025, and CorneaGen and Lions Eye Bank of Texas are working closely to further integrate their organizations and teams to ensure a seamless experience for surgeons, healthcare partners and donor families. While the formal affiliation between the eye bank and Baylor College of Medicine will conclude, CorneaGen remains committed to supporting affiliated surgeons with high-quality tissue and services. 

“Our partnership with the Lions Eye Bank of Texas has always been strong, and this integration marks a natural next step to accelerate our collective impact,” said Bernie Iliakis, President and CEO of CorneaGen. “By joining forces, we will strengthen our presence in Texas and across the country, enabling us to provide ocular tissue more effectively to meet the needs of patients and surgeons nationwide.” 

In 2018, CorneaGen began processing and distributing tissue recovered by the Lions Eye Bank of Texas, which provided Texas surgeons greater access to ocular tissue to better meet the specific needs of their patients. In addition, their surgeon customers would be eligible to utilize CorneaGen’s extensive education and training opportunities as well as expanded offering of innovative products. 

“For more than seven decades, the Lions Eye Bank of Texas has been a trusted partner in caring for the Gulf Coast community, and this transition ensures that we can continue serving patients for generations to come,” said Sumitra Khandelwal, M.D., Professor of Ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine. “Our partnership has shown the power of collaboration, and by formally joining CorneaGen, we’ll have greater resources to both support local eye donation and surgeons delivering sight-saving tissue to those who need it most.” 

About CorneaGen 

CorneaGen is a mission-driven company committed to transforming how corneal surgeons treat and care for the cornea. Based in Seattle, the company is innovating the next generation of cornea care, from new medical devices and biologics to therapeutics and interventions. CorneaGen supports corneal surgeons and their patients with a spectrum of services, including the latest in innovative products, delivery of the highest quality tissue, surgeon education, and advocacy for patient access and reimbursement policies. 

Media Contact 

Erika Novak, Communications Consultant 

erikanovakconsulting@outlook.com