Oculis Appoints World-renowned Ophthalmology Specialist

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, September 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Oculis, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation topical treatments for acute and chronic back- and front-of-the-eye diseases, announces the appointment of Pravin U. Dugel, M.D. as Chairman of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Dr. Dugel is internationally recognized for his research in the field of ophthalmologic diseases and brings extensive clinical experience.

"I am delighted that Dr. Dugel has accepted to lead our Scientific Advisory Board. He is a highly respected name in the field of ophthalmology and a leading retinal specialist. His appointment is a clear recognition of the exciting clinical opportunity presented by our most advanced product candidate OC-118 to become a transformational eye-drop therapy for patients with Diabetic Macular Edema, and more broadly of the Company's unique technology for creating eye-drop treatments targeting back- and front-of-the-eye diseases. Working closely with Dr. Dugel, Oculis aims to recruit a high caliber SAB alongside the excellent Board of Directors to provide guidance and support as we advance the development of OC-118, develop our SNP nanoparticle platform and build a leading pipeline of topical candidates for eye diseases over the coming years," said Dr. Riad Sherif, CEO of Oculis.

Commenting on his appointment to the SAB, Dr. Dugel, added: "In my career I have seen first-hand the devastating impact of sight-threatening diseases on patients and their families. I hope that through my experience combined with the innovation I see in Oculis, we can tackle some of the biggest challenges in ophthalmology and improve the lives of patients."  

Dr. Dugel is Managing Partner of Retinal Consultants of Arizona and a Founding Member of the Spectra Eye Institute. He is also Clinical Professor at the Department of Ophthalmology at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California. Dr. Dugel is globally recognized as a clinical researcher, having served as Principal Investigator for over 100 multicenter clinical trials for emerging and FDA-approved therapies for wet age-related macular degeneration including Fovista®, Lucentis® and Eylea®. Dr. Dugel has authored more than 200 papers and 35 book chapters. He is on the Editorial Board of several major medical journals. The Becker Institute recently named him "one of the best 35 ophthalmologists in the United States."

Dr. Dugel serves on the Board of Directors of Orbis International and as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board at MacuSight, Inc., Alcon Surgical, Genentech and Novartis. He also serves as a Member of the Medical Advisory Board at TrueVision Systems, Inc. and a Member of the Clinical Advisory Board at Opthea Limited. Dr. Dugel received his M.D. from UCLA School of Medicine and his BA from Columbia University. 

About Oculis  

Oculis is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation topical treatments for acute and chronic ophthalmic diseases. 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 lead candidate OC-118 is in a Phase IIb study and is aiming to be the first topical treatment for Diabetic Macular Edema, the leading cause of blindness in developed countries.

OC-118 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 leading 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 http://www.oculis.com

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

Louie-Anne Gauthier, VP Communications
louie-anne.gauthier@oculis.com

Media relations:
Marine Perrier, Mark Swallow, Pip Batty
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
oculis@citigatedewerogerson.com
Tel: +44-207-638-9571