SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Omeros Corporation (Nasdaq: OMER) today announced that Eckhard Leifke, M.D. has been named Omeros’ Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Clinical Development. In this role, Dr. Leifke will oversee clinical science & operations, medical affairs and pharmacovigilance. He assumes these corporate responsibilities from J. Steven Whitaker, M.D., J.D., Vice President of Clinical Development, who will now focus primarily on driving the clinical aspects of Omeros’ MASP-2 antibody – OMS721 – toward U.S. and international regulatory approvals in hematopoietic stem cell transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (HSCT-TMA).
“I am excited to join Omeros’ leadership team,” said Dr. Leifke. “I am impressed by the quality of Omeros’ pipeline and by the sense of urgency within the company to advance these programs to improve the lives of patients. With input from thought leaders and their patients who are affected by the serious conditions for which Omeros is developing novel therapeutics, my top priority is to continue accelerating the company’s clinical programs toward successful commercialization.”
Dr. Leifke brings to Omeros more than 20 years of drug development experience, having built and headed global teams at leading pharmaceutical companies including Bayer, Takeda and, most recently, Sanofi where he was Global Project Head/Vice President of Early Project & External Opportunities - Cardiovascular and Metabolism and Global Head/Vice President of Late-Stage Development Diabetes. He has led the global development of multiple early- and late-stage small-molecule and biologic drug candidates to successful market authorizations in the USA, Europe, Japan and other countries.
“We’re pleased to welcome Eckhard to our senior leadership team, and I expect that his proven track record and thoughtful approach to strategic drug development globally will be valuable assets for Omeros,” said Gregory A. Demopulos, M.D., chairman and chief executive officer of Omeros. “This important and timely expansion of our clinical team underscores Omeros’ progress and our longstanding commitment to providing cutting-edge therapeutics to patients with disabling and life-threatening disorders. I’d like to recognize Steve Whitaker for his ongoing exemplification of that same commitment, and I look forward to his leading OMS721 to a successful outcome in stem-cell TMA, currently one of Omeros’ highest priorities.”
Dr. Leifke holds a Medical Doctorate from the University of Freiburg, Germany, and is Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology.
About Omeros Corporation
Omeros is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and commercializing small-molecule and protein therapeutics for large-market as well as orphan indications targeting inflammation, complement-mediated diseases and disorders of the central nervous system. The company’s drug product OMIDRIA® (phenylephrine and ketorolac intraocular solution) 1% / 0.3% is marketed for use during cataract surgery or intraocular lens (IOL) replacement to maintain pupil size by preventing intraoperative miosis (pupil constriction) and to reduce postoperative ocular pain. In the European Union, the European Commission has approved OMIDRIA for use in cataract surgery and other IOL replacement procedures to maintain mydriasis (pupil dilation), prevent miosis (pupil constriction), and to reduce postoperative eye pain. Omeros has multiple Phase 3 and Phase 2 clinical-stage development programs focused on: complement-associated thrombotic microangiopathies; complement-mediated glomerulonephropathies; cognitive impairment; and addictive and compulsive disorders. In addition, Omeros has a diverse group of preclinical programs and a proprietary G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) platform through which it controls 54 new GPCR drug targets and corresponding compounds, a number of which are in preclinical development. The company also exclusively possesses a novel antibody-generating platform.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which are subject to the “safe harbor” created by those sections for such statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, which are often indicated by terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “intend,” “likely”, “look forward to,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “prospects,” “should,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions and variations thereof. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information available to management only as of the date of this press release. Omeros’ actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements for many reasons, including, without limitation, risks associated with product commercialization and commercial operations, unproven preclinical and clinical development activities, regulatory oversight, intellectual property claims, competitive developments, litigation, and the risks, uncertainties and other factors described under the heading “Risk Factors” in the company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 10, 2018. Given these risks, uncertainties and other factors, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, and the company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.
