HEIDELBERG, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NOVALIQ GmbH, a specialty pharmaceutical company with a disruptive drug delivery platform that transforms poorly soluble drugs into effective therapeutics for ophthalmology, today announced the appointment of Gabriela Burian, MD, MPH, as NOVALIQ’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO).
Dr. Burian brings over 25 years of international clinical experience to the company. She is responsible for leading NOVALIQ’s global clinical development and regulatory efforts, as well as expanding the company’s proprietary ocular therapeutics pipeline. Dr. Burian has deep clinical knowledge and proven leadership in the areas of ophthalmic biomedical research and clinical translation, with specialized expertise in retina diseases. Previously, Dr. Burian held various leadership positions, including Global Program Medical Director at Novartis Pharma and Ophthalmology Early Program Leader at F. Hoffmann-La Roche. She founded and directs GB Biomed Advisors GmbH and serves as CMO for Iconic Therapeutics, Inc. She is a faculty member of the European School for Advanced Studies in Ophthalmology.
“NOVALIQ has a very exciting and robust dry eye therapy pipeline and has the potential to address significant clinical needs in retina and glaucoma as well,” said Dr. Burian. “With multiple pre-clinical and clinical stage programs in development, the company is strongly positioned to be a global leader in dry eye disease. My top priorities are to advance these programs toward regulatory submissions and to identify, develop and manage new drug development opportunities in glaucoma and retina diseases by harnessing the power of NOVALIQ’s proprietary EyeSol® technology, which enhances the topical bioavailability, stability and safety of traditionally insoluble or unstable drugs.”
Sonja Krösser, PhD, vice president of preclinical and clinical development will continue to lead NOVALIQ’s dry eye developments and remains responsible for the preclinical and clinical team. Dr. Krösser is a translational science and clinical development expert with more than 15 years in the biopharmaceutic industry and in-depth experience in dry eye disease. She was and will be instrumental in the advancement of NOVALIQ’s rich and differentiated dry eye product pipeline, which includes the CE-approved NovaTears®; NovaTears® Omega-3 a new preservative-free, multi-dose eye drop formulation expecting CE mark in 2017; CyclASol®, currently in Phase 2 clinical trials in the U.S.; and, the recently announced, first-in-class ocular pain and anti-inflammatory cannabinoid DED drug development program.
Dr. Burian will join NOVALIQ’s executive management team, reporting to the company’s managing director and CEO Christian Roesky, PhD. “I’m delighted to welcome Gabriela to NOVALIQ ,” said Dr. Roesky. “With Gabriela’s extensive experience leading medical and clinical development teams combined with Sonja’s demonstrated track record of advancing our dry eye pipeline, we are strengthening our mission to transform active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) into highly effective ocular therapeutics for both the front and the back of the eye.”
About NOVALIQ– NOVALIQ GmbH, founded in 2007, is a Heidelberg based specialty pharmaceutical company focused on ophthalmology. Its mission is to transform poorly soluble drugs into effective ocular therapeutics for both the front and the back of the eye. NOVALIQ’s proprietary EyeSol® technology enhances the topical bio-availability, stability and safety of traditionally insoluble or unstable drugs improving the delivery, efficacy and convenience of treatments for ocular surface diseases including dry eye through preservative free and multi dose formulations. NOVALIQ has developed a tiered and long-term sustainable dry eye family of truly differentiated products that addresses the different needs of dry eye patients. NOVALIQ’s most advanced product is NovaTears® with CE-approval marketed under the brand name EvoTears® in Europe. CyclASol® a second-generation prescription drug is currently in preparation for a pivotal trial. More on www.novaliq.com.
