Oculis Expands its Executive Leadership Team and Appoints Rebecca Weil, Ph.D. as Chief Commercial Officer as it Enters Pre-Commercial Phase
- OCS-01 achieved positive results in Phase 3 trials for DME and inflammation and pain following cataract surgery.
- Oculis is entering the pre-commercial phase and preparing for its first US launch.
- If approved, OCS-01 could be the first topical preservative-free eye drop for DME and first once daily eye drop for inflammation and pain following ocular surgery.
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- Following the achievement of two positive key late-stage clinical milestones on its lead product candidate OCS-01 and recent listing on NASDAQ, Oculis is strengthening its executive leadership team with the appointment of Rebecca Weil, Ph.D., seasoned global ophthalmology commercial executive, as Chief Commercial Officer
- OCS-01’s recent positive topline results in Phase 3 DIAMOND Stage 1 trial for diabetic macular edema (DME) and in Phase 3 OPTIMIZE trial for inflammation and pain following cataract surgery propels Oculis into pre-commercial phase in anticipation of the Company’s first US commercial launch
- If approved, OCS-01 has the potential to become the first topical preservative-free eye drop for the treatment of DME and first once daily eye drop for inflammation and pain following ocular surgery
ZUG, Switzerland and BOSTON, Sept. 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oculis Holding AG (Nasdaq: OCS) (“Oculis” or the “Company”), a global biopharmaceutical company purposefully driven to save sight and improve eye care, today announced the appointment of global commercial executive with extensive ophthalmology experience, Rebecca Weil, to the role of Chief Commercial Officer. In this key role, Ms. Weil will lead the organization to commercial readiness from designing launch strategies for U.S. and globally, and building the required commercial infrastructure to bring all of Oculis’ groundbreaking ophthalmic product candidates to markets worldwide.
Riad Sherif, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Oculis: “We are thrilled to have Rebecca join us at Oculis. With her significant commercial leadership experience in ophthalmology spanning global strategy, marketing, and market access and her solid US market knowledge, Rebecca is the perfect fit for this role especially as Oculis initiates preparation of its anticipated first US launch with OCS-01. Her experience in building commercial functions from the ground up and strong track record in launching ophthalmology drugs for both, retina and front-of-the-eye indications, including Xiidra® in the US for dry eye disease will be instrumental to ensure commercial success with Oculis’ diversified pipeline, upon approval and expected launch.”
Rebecca Weil, Ph.D., Chief Commercial Officer of Oculis: “This is a very exciting time to join Oculis and I look forward to building a strong commercial organization and preparing Oculis for its first potential launch in the U.S. with OCS-01 for the treatment of inflammation and pain following ocular surgery. I am delighted to begin working with the team to develop the commercial strategy that will enable Oculis to reach its full potential, ensure company and market readiness to achieve commercial success and deliver its innovative therapies to patients worldwide.”
Ms. Weil is a seasoned commercial executive with 20 years of experience in biotech and large pharmaceutical companies at the global, regional, and local levels. Prior to joining Oculis, she was the Senior Vice President, Head of Global Marketing for Idorsia where she built the team, defined the go-to-market strategies and launched the company’s first two products. Ms. Weil started her career in strategic consulting at McKinsey & Company, and held commercial leadership positions at Novartis, Bausch + Lomb, Alcon and Shire where she led the global ophthalmology and neuroscience franchises and product launch strategy development. She received her Ph.D. in political science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and holds a B.A. in public and international affairs from Princeton University.
About Oculis
Oculis (Nasdaq: OCS) is a global biopharmaceutical company purposefully driven to save sight and improve eye care. Oculis’ highly differentiated clinical-stage pipeline comprises multiple innovative product candidates in development for eye diseases of high unmet need. It includes OCS-01 eye drops, a topical candidate in Phase 3 development for diabetic macular edema (DME) and inflammation and pain following ocular surgery; OCS-02 eye drops, a topical biologic candidate in Phase 2 development for dry eye disease (DED) and uveitis; and OCS-05, a disease modifying candidate for acute optic neuritis (AON) and other neuro-ophthalmic disorders, such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, geographic atrophy, and neurotrophic keratitis. The first in-patient, proof-of-concept trial with OCS-05 is currently ongoing in France. Headquartered in Switzerland and with operations in the US, Oculis’ goal is to deliver life-changing eye treatments to patients worldwide. The Company is led by an experienced management team with a successful track record in the pharmaceutical industry, supported by leading international healthcare investors.
For more information, please visit: www.oculis.com
Oculis Contacts
Mrs. Sylvia Cheung, CFO
sylvia.cheung@oculis.com
Investor & Media Relations
LifeSci Advisors
Corey Davis, Ph.D.
cdavis@lifesciadvisors.com
1-212-915-2577
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements and information. For example, statements regarding the potential benefits of OCS-01, including patient impact and market opportunity; the potential for OCS-01 to become a new standard of care with the first once-daily, topical, preservative-free eye drop for treating inflammation and pain following ocular surgery; the potential of OCS-01 for the treatment of DME and inflammation and pain following ocular surgery; expected future milestones and catalysts; Oculis’ research and development programs, regulatory, commercial and business strategy, and management; Oculis’ anticipated first US commercial launch with OCS-01, are forward-looking. All forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Oculis and its management, are inherently uncertain and are inherently subject to risks, variability and contingencies, many of which are beyond Oculis’ control. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by an investor as, a guarantee, assurance, prediction or definitive statement of a fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those that we expected and/or those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of Oculis, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of Oculis’ annual report on Form 20-F and any other documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Copies of these documents are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. Oculis undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.
