BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OcuTerra Therapeutics, Inc. (“OcuTerra”), a clinical stage ophthalmology company developing innovative drugs to treat ophthalmic diseases for which the current standard of care of “watch-and-wait” does not prevent or control the progression of disease, today announced the appointment of eye care industry veteran Majid Anderesi, MD, as Vice President of Clinical and Medical Affairs.
Dr. Anderesi previously served as Global Medical Affairs Director for the Novartis Ophthalmology Franchise where he led teams throughout the life cycle of blockbuster retinal disease candidates. Prior, he was the Group Clinical Director of Ophthalmology at Roche where he was responsible for key drug development activities and studies. Dr. Anderesi also served as Senior Medical Director of TA Ophthalmology at Allergan and Global Clinical Lead of Ophthalmology at Bayer. In addition to Dr. Anderesi’s deep expertise in retinal clinical trials and over twenty years of drug development and medical affairs experience, he is a trained ophthalmologist who understands retinal patients and their often difficult journeys to improved vision.
“I had the pleasure working with Majid at Novartis and am thrilled to have him join our growing team at OcuTerra as we start the OTT166 Phase 2 DR:EAM (Diabetic Retinopathy : Early Active Management) study in non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy,” said David Tanzer, MD, Chief Medical Officer of OcuTerra. “Majid brings a wealth of development and medical affairs experience to OcuTerra and is well known and respected by ophthalmologists and retina specialists globally, as well as by industry professionals. I know he shares our passion to transform how patients with diabetic retinopathy are treated, bringing earlier, non-invasive therapeutic options to clinicians who care for these patients. Welcome to the team, Majid!”
“I am honored to join David and the OcuTerra team as we work to improve options for patients with diabetic retinopathy who are currently waiting for their disease to worsen before considering treatment,” said Dr. Anderesi. “As an industry leader whom I previously worked with would often say, ‘patients cannot wait’ and I wholeheartedly agree. I bring this sentiment to OcuTerra and am deeply motivated to find solutions for millions of patients with common, potentially blinding conditions before they progress.”
About OTT166
OTT166 is a novel, patented, potent and selective small molecule integrin inhibitor purpose engineered to have an optimum balance of physiochemical properties to allow it to distribute to the retina in high concentrations after topical (eye drop) administration to the eye. It selectively inhibits key integrin subtypes αvβ3, αvβ6 and αvβ8 to regulate cellular responses to VEGF and other growth factors known to contribute to development and progression of diabetic retinopathy and other ocular diseases. In early clinical studies in patients with diabetic retinal disease, OTT166 eye drops have demonstrated evidence of safety, tolerability, and biological activity.
About OcuTerra Therapeutics
OcuTerra Therapeutics, Inc. is developing innovative drugs for ophthalmic diseases for which the current standard of care does not prevent or control the progression of disease. Our initial therapeutic, OTT166, administered as an eye drop containing a novel integrin-inhibitor, is in clinical development to enable earlier intervention of diabetic retinopathy, a chronic, progressive disease that is one of the leading causes of vision loss globally. Our goal is to bring transformative treatments to clinicians and their patients who are consigned to watch and wait as disease progresses, ultimately requiring medically intensive and invasive therapy. www.ocuterratx.com
