Ocular Therapeutix reshuffles leadership, aims for retina care leadership

BEDFORD, Mass. – Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. (NASDAQ:), a biopharmaceutical company focused on eye diseases, has announced significant changes to its board of directors and executive team.

The company appointed Pravin U. Dugel, MD as Executive Chairman, Jeffrey S. Heier, MD as Chief Scientific Officer, Peter K. Kaiser, MD as Medical Director, and Sanjay Nayak, MBBS, PhD as Chief Strategy Officer. Charles Warden transitioned from Chairman of the Board to Lead Independent Director.

The leadership expansion is part of Ocular’s strategy to become a leading provider in retina care, especially for wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD (NASDAQ:)), diabetic retinopathy, and other retinal conditions. The company believes these appointments can accelerate the development of its AXPAXLI™ Phase 3 wet AMD program.

Dr. Heier and Dr. Kaiser have resigned from their previous advisory roles to assume their new operational positions. Peter Jarrett, PhD, has also joined as Chief Technical Officer, while Rabia Gurses Ozden, MD, continues as Chief Medical Officer.

Antony Mattessich, CEO of Ocular Therapeutix, expressed confidence that the new ‘Retina Dream Team’ will advance the development of AXPAXLI™ and position the company at the forefront of retina care. He praised Dr. Dugel’s track record in advancing novel products for retinal disease and his extensive network within the field. Mattessich also noted the valuable experience Drs. Heier, Kaiser, and Nayak bring to the company’s clinical programs and strategic development.

The new appointments are expected to enhance Ocular’s clinical trial outcomes, leveraging the team’s expertise as principal investigators in pivotal trials for approved products for wet AMD and other ophthalmic indications.

Ocular Therapeutix is known for its proprietary bioresorbable hydrogel-based formulation technology, ELUTYX™, and its clinical portfolio includes the AXPAXLI™, currently in Phase 3 trials for wet AMD, and a Phase 1 trial for diabetic retinopathy.

The information in this article is based on a press release statement from Ocular Therapeutix, Inc.

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