Ocugen Announces Appointment of Marna C. Whittington, PhD, to Board of Directors
Ocugen, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCGN) has appointed Dr. Marna C. Whittington to its Board of Directors, effective March 21, 2022. Dr. Whittington, a seasoned financial leader, previously served as CEO of Allianz Global Investors Capital and has held positions at Morgan Stanley and the University of Pennsylvania. Her expertise is expected to bolster Ocugen's growth strategy concerning its gene therapies and vaccine candidates. The announcement follows the departure of Manish Potti, who did not seek reappointment, expressing confidence in the company's future in addressing unmet medical needs.
- Appointment of Dr. Marna C. Whittington, enhancing leadership with extensive financial expertise.
- Anticipated contributions to Ocugen's growth strategy focused on gene therapies and vaccines.
- Departure of Manish Potti raises potential concerns regarding continuity in the Board.
MALVERN, Pa., March 23, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ocugen, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCGN), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing novel gene therapies, biologicals and vaccines, today announced the appointment of Marna C. Whittington, PhD, to the Board of Directors. Her term became effective March 21, 2022.
“We’re extremely pleased to welcome Dr. Marna Whittington to the Ocugen board,” said Dr. Shankar Musunuri, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and Co-founder of Ocugen. “Her experiences will be exceedingly important to our growth strategy as we progress our modifier gene therapies and vaccine candidate. I also want to thank Manish Potti for his significant contributions to the Board and the Company.”
Mr. Potti made the personal decision not to seek another term of service on the Board of Directors, commenting, “Ocugen is uniquely positioned for a bright future. Its pipeline and clinical programs for COVID-19 and ophthalmology are going to be valuable additions for patients. Shankar and the management team are well-prepared to handle the road ahead of them, and I wish the company nothing but continued success.”
Dr. Whittington is a renowned leader within the financial sector and a sought-after expert serving on numerous boards. She was the Chief Executive Officer of Allianz Global Investors Capital from 2001 until her retirement in January 2012. Before that, Dr. Whittington was a corporate officer for Morgan Stanley Investment Management and the University of Pennsylvania as well as the Secretary of Finance for the State of Delaware. She currently serves on the boards of the Salk Institute, Tower Hill School, Macy’s Inc., the Philadelphia Contributionship (a company founded by Benjamin Franklin), Phillips 66 and Oaktree Capital Management.
“This team is making discoveries through courageous innovation and positioning itself to make significant contributions to the health of our communities. I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to its continued success,” said Marna Whittington, PhD, newly appointed Director of Ocugen’s Board of Directors.
About Ocugen, Inc.
Ocugen, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing gene therapies, biologicals and vaccines that improve health and offer hope for people and global communities. We are making an impact through courageous innovation, taking science in new directions in service of patients. Our breakthrough modifier gene therapy platform has the potential to treat multiple diseases with one drug and we are advancing research in other therapeutic areas to offer new options for people with unmet medical needs. Discover more at www.ocugen.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to risks and uncertainties. We may, in some cases, use terms such as “predicts,” “believes,” “potential,” “proposed,” “continue,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “may,” “could,” “might,” “will,” “should” or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to numerous important factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from our current expectations. These and other risks and uncertainties are more fully described in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including the risk factors described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the quarterly and annual reports that we file with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements that we make in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this press release whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release.
Ocugen Contact:
Ken Inchausti
Head, Investor Relations & Communications
IR@Ocugen.com
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