Opthea (ASX:OPT) has announced the appointment of Quinton Oswald and Dr Susan Orr to its board of directors.
“We welcome Quinton and Susan to our Board of Directors. Their addition to the board contributes greatly to the strength of the company. Their experience in commercialisation of ophthalmology products globally in both large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies makes them ideally suited to enhance Opthea’s capabilities,” said Opthea chair Dr Jeremy Levin.
“Our pivotal Phase 3 trials of OPT-302 in wet AMD are actively recruiting patients around the world with top line results expected in 2024. If successful and approved, OPT-302 will be a unique product to treat patients with wet AMD around the world, addressing a substantial global need. We are preparing for that potential event. Quinton has a broad global perspective, having previously worked in the US, Europe and South Africa while Susan contributes deep experience bringing ophthalmic product candidates to market.”
“AMD is a debilitating disease that affects central vision, and wet AMD poses particular treatment challenges that have not yet been overcome,” said Mr Oswald.
“I believe in the work that Opthea is doing to advance patient outcomes and I’m excited to be a part of a company with the potential to fundamentally improve standard of care treatment in this arena, around the world," said Orr commented. “I am excited to join the Board at this pivotal moment in Opthea’s history. OPT302 is a unique molecule with a novel mechanism of action. New approaches are urgently needed for patients, and I am thrilled to be a part of the journey to advance this potential therapy to the market. The program has shown great promise to date and if the Phase 3 is successful and the product approved, OPT 302 holds the potential to sufficiently improve patient care in wet age-related macular degeneration.”
Mr. Oswald has over 25 years of international general management experience. Most recently, he was the CEO of Notal Vision, a commercial stage ophthalmic home monitoring services provider with a focus on both wet and dry AMD. Prior to Notal Vision, he served as the CEO of Neurotech and, prior to that, as the CEO of SARcode Bioscience.
Dr Orr currently serves as the chief medical officer at Claris Biotherapeutics and is a member of the Retina Global board of directors. Dr Orr was previously the CEO at Notal Vision.