Oculis Announces Appointment of Leading Specialists to Scientific Advisory Board

– Eric D. Donnenfeld, M.D., internationally recognized expert and pioneer in refractive, cornea and cataract surgery

– Ramin Tadayoni, M.D., Ph.D., renowned professor and ophthalmologist in the diagnosis and treatment of retinal diseases, retinovitreal surgery and ophthalmic imaging

Oculis Announces Appointment of Leading Ophthalmology Specialists to Scientific Advisory Board

 

Lausanne, Switzerland, Sept. 17, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Oculis S.A., a clinicalstage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation topical ophthalmic treatments for back- and front-of-the-eye diseases, today announced the appointments of Eric Donnenfeld, M.D., and Pr. Ramin Tadayoni, M.D., Ph.D., to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

“I am pleased to welcome Eric and Ramin to our SAB and look forward to their contributionsas we focus on our objective of developing topical medicines that can treat both back- and  front-of-the eye diseases,” said Riad Sherif, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Oculis. “Backof-the-eye diseases, such as diabetic macular edema, currently require invasive treatments such as intraocular injections or intravitreal drug-releasing implants. The invasiveness of the current options creates a real treatment burden for patients and does not allow for early intervention. OCS-01, our lead product candidate based on our proprietary solubilizing nanoparticle technology, could potentially become the first ever topical treatment for DME.”

Dr. Donnenfeld is a trustee of Dartmouth Medical School and a clinical professor of ophthalmology at New York University. He is past president of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, president-elect of the International Intraocular Implant Society and is the editor-in-chief of EyeWorld. He has written over 200 peer review papers and 60 book chapters and books. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and has received its Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. Tadayoni is Professor of Ophthalmology at University of Paris and Head of the department of Ophthalmology at Lariboisière University Hospital (Paris, France). He has authored more than 140 medical and scientific articles and has made numerous contributions to ophthalmology textbooks. Dr. Tadayoni completed undergraduate training in medicine at the University of Marseille, and his M.D. and internship at Paris V University. He completed his studies with a retina fellowship at Lariboisière University Hospital. Simultaneously, he pursued his Ph.D. in Science at Paris VII University and the Paris Vision Institute.

“Dr. Donnenfeld and Professor Tadayoni are highly respected and distinguished ophthalmicphysicians, and I am delighted that they are joining the Oculis Scientific Advisory Board,”  said Dr. Pravin Dugel, Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board. “Their exemplary work in the field of ophthalmology and their highly complementary expertise in back- and front-ofthe-eye diseases will prove to be very valuable.”

About Oculis

Oculis is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to develop novel topical treatments (eye drops) for ophthalmic diseases for both back- and front-of-the-eye in order to improve the sight and lives of patients worldwide. These topical treatments represent an unprecedented technical advance for patients with back-of-the-eye diseases that are currently managed only by intra-ocular injections or implants; while topical treatments for front-of-the-eye disease are designed to improve patient outcomes by increasing drug bioavailability, reducing dosing frequency and improving patient compliance.

The company’s leading clinical candidates include, OCS-01 and OCS-02. OCS-01 is currently in clinical trial in DME and post-cataract patients. If approved in DME, OCS-01 has the potential to provide a new non-invasive treatment option for DME patients. OCS-02 is a novel topical anti-TNF alpha antibody in Phase II for inflammatory eye diseases and was in-licensed from Novartis.

OCS-01 has been developed from Oculis’ solubilizing nanoparticle (SNP) technology, a proprietary platform that enables the formulation of a wide range of drugs as non-invasive topical treatments and enhances their bioavailability in the relevant eye tissues. The Company is leveraging this proprietary technology to generate a pipeline of topical drugs targeting sight-threatening eye diseases.

Oculis has an experienced management team from global ophthalmic companies and is supported by leading international life science investors. Oculis is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, with research operations in Reykjavik, Iceland.

To learn more visit www.oculis.com

Contacts

Oculis

Dr. Riad Sherif, CEO
riad.sherif@oculis.com

Louie-Anne Gauthier, VP Strategic Marketing, BD&L
louie-anne.gauthier@oculis.com

Media relations

Burns McClellan
Ryo Imai / Robert Flamm
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