Healthcare Industry News: Uveitis
News Release - December 20, 2007
EyeGate Pharma Appoints Remis Bistras as Vice President, Business Development
WALTHAM, MA--(Healthcare Sales & Marketing Network)--Dec 20, 2007 -- EyeGate Pharma, a privately held, specialty pharmaceutical company pioneering the use of iontophoresis technology to safely and non-invasively deliver therapeutics for ocular indications, today announced that it has expanded its senior management team with the appointment of Remis Bistras, Ph.D., M.B.A, as Vice President, Business Development. Dr. Bistras is responsible for developing corporate strategies and overseeing all business and corporate development functions, including strategic collaborations, acquisitions and licensing.Stephen From, President and Chief Executive Officer of EyeGate Pharma, commented, "EyeGate is building an outstanding management team that will work together to make the EyeGate® II Delivery System the solution of choice for drug companies seeking a safer and non-invasive way to deliver a wide variety of therapeutics to the front and back of the eye. Remis' initial focus is on the many commercial opportunities for the EyeGate® II, a technology that represents a fundamental advance in ocular drug delivery. His knowledge and leadership is central to our corporate development efforts."
"The current market for ophthalmic therapeutics has reached $11 billion worldwide, but there has been only modest improvements in the delivery of new and existing drugs in this space. Currently, ophthalmologists and their patients have limited delivery options because eye drops are largely ineffective and are naturally removed from the eye, and injections and implants are highly invasive and dangerous," stated Dr. Bistras. "As a potential alternative to currently available ocular delivery technologies, EyeGate Pharma is commercializing a non-invasive iontophoretic drug delivery system, the EyeGate® II. I am excited to join the senior management team of this dynamic company."
Dr. Remis Bistras brings more than 15 years of eye care and related business development experience to EyeGate. He has extensive experience in licensing and merger and acquisition, strategic collaboration negotiation and relationship management within medical devices, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing industries. Prior to Joining EyeGate, Dr. Bistras was Senior Consultant at S.M. Jagger Consulting, a leading strategic advisory firm, where he worked on strategic business development, merger and acquisitions and divestment financial assessment for Fortune 100 clients. Previously, Dr. Bistras was Director, Business Development & Licensing at CIBA Vision/Novartis, a $1.5 billion eye care division of Novartis, a world leader in pharmaceuticals and consumer health. At CIBA Vision he managed worldwide business development and licensing activities in medical devices and therapeutic compounds in the eye care area. Among his many accolades, he successfully executed a licensing deal and managed clinical development for a novel treatment technology for age related macular degeneration (AMD). He also successfully executed several intellectual property and product out-licensing deals and technology spin-offs.
Earlier in his career, he was an Associate Professor, Psychology at Vilnius University in Vilnius, Lithuania. Dr. Bistras holds an M.B.A from Carnegie Mellon University and a Ph.D. in psychology from Moscow University.
About EyeGate Pharma
EyeGate Pharma was founded in 1998 with technology licensed from Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami. EyeGate's transscleral (across the sclera, or white protective outer membrane of the eye) iontophoresis delivery platform, the EyeGate® II Delivery System, was designed by ophthalmologists for ophthalmologists. EyeGate's ocular drug delivery platform works through iontophoresis, which enhances transport of molecules through cells and tissues using the driving force of a mild, applied electric field. This non-invasive system can be applied to safely deliver a wide range of therapeutics to both the anterior and posterior chambers of the eye. An 89-patient pilot study, using the company's first-generation delivery device, demonstrated exceptional patient tolerance with a significant decrease in inflammatory markers and a concurrent increase in visual acuity. A typical application takes less than five minutes and has been shown to be extremely well tolerated in patients suffering from severe Uveitis and other inflammatory ocular diseases. Clinical studies utilizing the EyeGate® II Delivery System are scheduled to begin in 2008. For more information please visit www.eyegatepharma.com.
Source: EyeGate Pharma
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