Oculis, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation topical treatments for acute and chronic back and front of the eye diseases, has appointed Dr Pravin U. Dugel, chairman of its scientific advisory board (SAB). Dr Dugel is internationally recognised 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. 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.
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 recognised as a clinical researcher, having served as Principal Investigator for more than 100 multicenter clinical trials for emerging and FDA-approved therapies for wet age-related macular degeneration including Fovista, Lucentis and Eylea.
Dr Dugel serves on the board of directors of Orbis International and as a member of the SAB at MacuSight, Alcon Surgical, Genentech and Novartis. He also serves as a member of the medical advisory board at TrueVision Systems, and a Member of the clinical advisory board at Opthea. Dr Dugel received his MD from UCLA School of Medicine and his BA from Columbia University.
