ScienceBased Health

What ScienceBased Health does

ScienceBased Health is a Houston-based, privately held nutraceutical company founded in 1997 by a group of ophthalmologists and optometrists. It develops and markets evidence-based dietary supplements for eye health and adjacent wellness needs, with a portfolio of roughly eleven branded products. Core formulations include HydroEye, a patented dry-eye supplement combining GLA (gamma linolenic acid from black currant seed oil) with omega-3 EPA/DHA and supported by a peer-reviewed randomized controlled trial published in the Cornea journal; the MacularProtect and MacularProtect Complete lines, which are AREDS/AREDS2-based formulations for macular health containing 10 mg FloraGLO lutein and 2 mg zeaxanthin; Optic Nerve Formula, clinically tested in Acta Ophthalmologica (2017); DiaVis for retinal circulation in diabetic patients; OmegaAdvance (triglyceride-form omega-3 with lutein/zeaxanthin); and broader multinutrient products (OcularProtect, OcularEssentials, BoneProtect, JointProtect). All products are manufactured in NSF-certified, GMP-compliant facilities, with fish oil ingredients USP-verified.

The company operates a dual-channel commercial model: a professional distribution channel in which thousands of ophthalmologists and optometrists worldwide recommend and dispense SBH products to patients, and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce channel through ScienceBasedHealth.com with auto-delivery subscription options, volume discounts of 5-20% on multi-bottle purchases, and free shipping on subscriptions. Unit pricing ranges from $22.95 to $49.95. The company earns revenue through one-time unit sales (professional channel) and recurring subscription revenue (DTC channel), and its credibility infrastructure includes a Scientific Advisory Board of named researchers plus active Ophthalmology and Optometry Clinical Advisory Panels that have been refreshed as recently as April 2025.

ScienceBased Health is headquartered in Houston, Texas, distributes products globally via practitioner and e-commerce channels, and has remained independent without disclosed venture capital or institutional ownership beyond a $2M round led by Aragon Ventures in 2000. Strategic milestones include the 2011 HOYA Surgical Optics partnership to expand into the ophthalmic surgical market, AREDS2-based product updates following the 2013 National Eye Institute trial, and the DiaVis launch in 2008 to address the 81-million-person U.S. diabetes population at risk for retinal complications.

Name

ScienceBased Health

Legal name

ScienceBased Health

Website

https://sciencebasedhealth.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ScienceBased Health is a Houston-based, privately held nutraceutical company founded in 1997 that develops evidence-based dietary supplements for eye health, distributed through thousands of ophthalmologists and optometrists worldwide and via direct-to-consumer e-commerce subscriptions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Eye Health Nutraceuticals

NAICS

Food (Health) Supplement Retailers (456191)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Condition Supplements (Sleep, Stress, Heart, Joint, Gut, Immunity) (CRADAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Condition-Specific Bioactives (Glucosamine/Chondroitin, Plant Sterols, Melatonin, Lutein/Zeaxanthin) (AFAJAKAK), Bio-based Pharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals & Specialty Bioactives (EUAAAIAK)

Keywords

• Eye health supplements
• Ocular nutraceuticals
• Dry eye formulations
• Macular health vitamins
• AREDS2 supplements

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales (E-commerce): Products sold directly to consumers through ScienceBasedHealth.com website with auto-delivery subscription options and volume discounts.
2. Professional Channel Distribution: Products distributed through thousands of recommending ophthalmologists and optometrists worldwide. Practitioners recommend and dispense products to patients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ScienceBased Health develops, manufactures, and distributes evidence-based nutraceutical (dietary supplement) formulations specialized in eye health. The company sells a portfolio of branded products including HydroEye for dry eye, MacularProtect Complete and MacularProtect based on AREDS/AREDS2 clinical trials, Optic Nerve Formula, DiaVis for diabetic retinal support, OmegaAdvance fish oil, OcularProtect and OcularEssentials multinutrients, and BoneProtect and JointProtect formulations. Products are sold through eyecare practitioners (ophthalmologists and optometrists) and directly to consumers via the company's website, manufactured in NSF-certified GMP-compliant facilities.

Product overview

ScienceBased Health is a provider of evidence-based nutraceuticals (dietary supplements) specialized in eye health. The company's product portfolio consists of eleven distinct branded nutritional formulations organized around eye health and whole body wellness. The core eye health lineup includes HydroEye (clinically tested dry eye relief with GLA and omega-3), MacularProtect Complete (all-in-one AREDS2 formula for macular and body health), MacularProtect (standalone AREDS2 macular support), Optic Nerve Formula (clinically tested optic nerve health), DiaVis (retinal circulation support for diabetics), and OmegaAdvance (premium omega-3 fish oil). The broader health portfolio includes OcularProtect and OcularEssentials (multinutrients for eye and whole body health), plus BoneProtect and JointProtect (bone and joint health support). Products are distributed through recommending ophthalmologists and optometrists, and sold directly to consumers via the website. All products are manufactured in NSF-certified facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HydroEye: Patented oral nutritional supplement for dry eye relief, clinically tested in randomized controlled trial published in Cornea journal
• MacularProtect Complete
• MacularProtect
• OcularProtect
• OcularEssentials
• OmegaAdvance
• Optic Nerve Formula
• DiaVis
• BoneProtect
• JointProtect

Products and services

• HydroEye Patented nutritional formulation clinically tested for dry eye relief, delivering a proprietary blend of GLA and omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), antioxidants and key vitamins and minerals to support healthy tear film and soothe ocular surface. Targeted at adults with dry eye syndrome and recommended by eyecare practitioners.
• MacularProtect Complete All-in-one AREDS2-based formula providing over 30 key nutrients at levels found to promote healthy vision in AREDS and AREDS2 clinical trials, including 10 mg lutein and 2 mg zeaxanthin, plus cell-protecting nutrients for macular and whole body health. Targeted at adults concerned with macular degeneration and overall wellness.
• MacularProtect Complete Drink Mix Drink mix version of the MacularProtect Complete AREDS2 formula based on AREDS, AREDS2, and other advanced research for macular and whole body health. Targeted at adults who prefer a drink format nutritional supplement.
• MacularProtect Stand-alone AREDS2-based formula delivering nutrients found to promote healthy vision including 10 mg lutein, 2 mg zeaxanthin, vitamins C and E, zinc, copper, and B vitamins for macular health support. Targeted at adults with or at risk for age-related macular degeneration.
• OcularProtect Robust antioxidant-rich multivitamin with over 40 key nutrients offering advanced protection for visual and whole body health, featuring 10 mg lutein, 2 mg zeaxanthin, turmeric extract, pomegranate, green tea, trans-resveratrol, and mixed berry. Targeted at adults seeking comprehensive eye and body nutrition.
• OcularEssentials Complete multinutrient protecting visual and whole body health with over 30 key nutrients including antioxidants, 6 mg FloraGLO lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, trans-resveratrol, vitamins C and E, and taurine. Targeted at adults seeking broad eye and body nutrition.
• OmegaAdvance Premium concentrated omega-3 fish oil supplement providing 1,000 mg of EPA and DHA from pharmaceutical grade fish oil in triglyceride form for rapid absorption, enriched with lutein and zeaxanthin for visual and whole body health. Targeted at adults seeking omega-3 supplementation with ocular support.
• Optic Nerve Formula Clinically tested specialized formulation supporting optic nerve health with Ginkgo biloba, bilberry and grapeseed extracts, alpha lipoic acid, omega fatty acids, B vitamins, magnesium, taurine, and CoQ10 to support mitochondrial function. Targeted at adults with optic nerve concerns.
• DiaVis Specialized nutritional formulation providing targeted nutrition for retinal vessel health, combatting oxidative stress, supporting kidney health and promoting balanced cellular environment for those with or at risk for diabetes. Targeted at adults with diabetes, pre-diabetes, or at risk for diabetes-related eye complications.
• BoneProtect Balanced formulation for bone health providing 800 mg of concentrated calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, vitamin K2 (MK-7), soy isoflavones, hesperidin, and green tea catechins to help achieve peak bone mass and retain bone density. Targeted at adults seeking bone health support.
• JointProtect Formulation designed for maintaining normal joint function and range of motion containing clinically tested glucosamine sulfate, Boswellia serrata (AKBBA), calcium fructoborate, and highly bioavailable curcumin with vitamin C for collagen formation. Targeted at adults seeking joint health support.

Quantifiable outcome

• HydroEye found to promote dry eye comfort in peer-reviewed randomized controlled multi-center trial published in Cornea journal
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HOYA Surgical OpticsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2011ScienceBased Health and HOYA Surgical Optics combined forces in March 2011 to expand reach of evidence-based nutraceuticals in the ophthalmic market and enhance patient care. HOYA is a major surgical optics company, making this partnership significant for market expansion.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Carlson Labs: Carlson Labs markets premium omega-3 fish oils and eye-health vitamins including AREDS-style formulations. Overlaps with SBH's OmegaAdvance and multivitamin SKUs on ingredient quality positioning.
• Nordic Naturals: Nordic Naturals is a premium omega-3 fish oil brand that overlaps with SBH's OmegaAdvance on triglyceride-form omega-3 positioning. Comparable ingredient quality claims (USP-verified fish oil) and overlapping dry-eye/eye-health indications.
• Life Extension: Life Extension is a long-standing direct-to-consumer supplement brand with AREDS2-based and ocular-health formulations. Comparable finished-form supplement business, though distributed primarily via consumer channels rather than the practitioner model.
• Guardion Health Sciences: Guardion Health Sciences develops medical foods and nutraceuticals targeting ocular health conditions. Comparable eye-health nutrition focus, though Guardion leans more toward medical foods/clinical indications.

Broad incumbents

• Nature's Way: Nature's Way is a large consumer supplement brand that carries AREDS2-based and general eye-health SKUs in mass retail. Comparable nutraceutical product category, but competing primarily on price/retail shelf rather than practitioner endorsement.
• Bausch + Lomb (PreserVision AREDS 2): Bausch + Lomb markets PreserVision, the mass-market AREDS/AREDS2-based macular supplement dispensed through eyecare professionals and retail pharmacies. Directly comparable in product category (eye-health AREDS nutrition) and recommendation channel, but operates as part of a much larger diversified ophthalmic portfolio.
• Alcon (ICAPS / Systane Nutrition): Alcon, a major global eyecare company, sells nutritional supplements such as ICAPS in the ocular nutrition category alongside its surgical and pharmaceutical franchises. Overlaps with SBH on AREDS-style macular supplements distributed through eyecare professionals.

Direct peers

• EyePromise (ZeaVision): EyePromise by ZeaVision offers practitioner-channel eye-health nutraceuticals (e.g., AREDS2-based and zeaxanthin formulas). Directly comparable specialty eye-health supplement brand competing for the same ophthalmologist/optometrist recommendation.
• MacuHealth: MacuHealth sells proprietary lutein/zeaxanthin/Meso-zeaxanthin-based eye-health supplements distributed through eyecare professionals. Closely comparable clinical-evidence-led positioning and practitioner-channel GTM targeting AMD and macular health.
• PRN Physician Recommended Nutriceuticals: PRN markets physician-recommended omega-3 and AREDS-based eye supplements distributed through eyecare providers. Direct competitor in the practitioner-channel omega-3/dry-eye/macular nutrition category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ScienceBasedHth
• Facebookfacebook.com/ScienceBasedHealth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sciencebasedhealth

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ScienceBased Health