REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Graybug Vision, Inc., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing potentially transformative therapies for ocular diseases, today announced that the Board of Directors has appointed Frédéric Guerard as Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Guerard’s career in the pharmaceutical industry spans over 20 years and includes multiple leadership, strategic, and commercial roles. He joins from Novartis, where he was previously Worldwide Business Franchise Head of Ophthalmology. In this role, he successfully led the integration of Novartis retina and Alcon pharmaceuticals, and accelerated the rejuvenation of the product pipeline through strategic acquisitions and licensing transactions in dry-eye, presbyopia, and inherited retinal diseases. Prior to this role, he served as Global Franchise Head of Pharmaceuticals at Alcon. He has also held multiple leadership positions at Novartis, including Head of United Kingdom and Ireland, Head and Country President of Australia and New Zealand, Head of Marketing and Sales for Emerging Growth Markets Region, Head and Country President Egypt, and Cluster Head North and West Africa. He has served on the Board of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and on the Board of Medicines Australia. Mr. Guerard holds a PharmD and a Master of Biological and Medical Sciences from the University of Rouen, France and a Master of Marketing from HEC Paris.
“We welcome Fred to Graybug Vision,” stated Jerry Cagle, Ph.D., acting CEO and Board Member. “His extensive experience in ophthalmology, including his strong background in commercial planning and broad relationships in the ophthalmic community, come at an important time in our Company’s evolution. Fred joins Graybug as it advances GB-102, a potential best-in-class pan-anti-VEGF inhibitor for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), into a Phase 2b clinical trial and its leading glaucoma asset into the clinic.”
“I would like to thank the Board for their confidence in me to continue building Graybug at such an exciting time,” stated Mr. Guerard. “Graybug is uniquely positioned to help eye care professionals control severe chronic eye diseases, which despite existing treatments, still result in visual impairment or blindness. Graybug’s technology platform of injectable drug-eluting micro-particles with extended duration has relevant applications in the anterior and posterior segments of the eye. Its lead program in wet AMD has the potential to transform the standard of care for patients, improving their real-life visual outcomes and alleviating their treatment burden."
About Graybug Vision
Graybug Vision is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing novel products for the treatment of ocular diseases. The company’s proprietary injectable products are designed to enable less frequent administration to reduce the burden of treatment for patients and their physicians. The company’s lead clinical-stage injectable product, GB-102, has the potential to be a best-in-class pan-anti-VEGF inhibitor for the treatment of wet AMD. Graybug Vision has also selected a lead compound to treat primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) with the potential to provide a best-in-class treatment lasting at least 4 months after a single injection. For more information, please visit www.graybug.com.