WALTHAM, Mass., March 2, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eyegate Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQB:EYEG) ("EyeGate"), a specialty pharmaceutical company that focuses on developing and commercializing therapeutics and drug delivery systems for treating diseases of the eye, today announced the appointment of Michael B. Raizman, MD as the Consulting Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Raizman began working with the Company as a consultant in the fourth quarter of 2014.
"We are extremely pleased to have Dr. Raizman lend his significant expertise to the continued development of EGP-437 as well as our broader initiatives aimed at expanding EyeGate's portfolio of ophthalmic therapeutics. An accomplished surgeon and educator, Dr. Raizman is a prominent and well-respected authority in the ophthalmology field, and I believe that his expected contributions in this consulting role will be instrumental in guiding our projects forward and helping EyeGate reach new levels of success as we execute on our near- and longer-term strategic objectives," said Stephen From, President and Chief Executive Officer of Eyegate Pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Raizman is a specialist in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery. Currently, he is Director, Cornea and Cataract Service at New England Eye Center and Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Tufts University School of Medicine. He is on staff at Massachusetts General Hospital and Tufts Medical Center, and since 1993 has directed the Cornea Fellowship at Tufts University Medical School and Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston. He served on the editorial boards of multiple journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association and the Archives of Ophthalmology, and has authored over 100 original, peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and one book. Dr. Raizman received his training at the University of Michigan and Harvard Medical School. He completed two Fellowships at the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, followed by three years of research at Harvard Medical School, funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.
"Working with EyeGate represents an exciting opportunity to drive the further clinical development of EGP-437, which has generated excellent clinical data thus far. Moreover, I look forward to working with the EyeGate team to explore additional pipeline opportunities that exist as a result of the EyeGate® II delivery system, which we believe has significant potential in the area of ophthalmic drug administration," said Raizman. "As the only non-invasive delivery system, it carries substantive benefits for clinicians and patients alike, and we believe that the advantages over traditional methods including self-administered eye drops and intravitreal injections are compelling. I am thrilled to help tap into the full potential of the Company's unique technology for the benefit of clinicians, patients and key stakeholders."
About EyeGate
EyeGate is a clinical-stage specialty pharmaceutical company that is focused on developing and commercializing therapeutics and drug delivery systems for treating diseases of the eye. EGP-437, the company's first and only product in clinical trials, incorporates a reformulated topically active corticosteroid, dexamethasone phosphate, that is delivered into the ocular tissues through EyeGate's proprietary innovative drug delivery system, the EyeGate® II Delivery System. For more information, please visit www.EyeGatePharma.com.
Safe Harbor Statement:
Some of the statements in this press release are "forward-looking" and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These "forward-looking" statements include statements relating to, among other things, the appointment of Michael B. Raizman, MD as EyeGate's Consulting Chief Medical Officer and the clinical trials, commercialization efforts and other regulatory or marketing approval efforts pertaining to EyeGate's products, including EGP-437, as well as the success thereof, with such approvals or success may not be obtained or achieved on a timely basis or at all. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from the statements set forth in this press release, including, among other things, certain risk factors described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the preliminary prospectus contained in our Registration Statement on Form S-1/A filed with the SEC on February 4, 2015, or described in our other public filings. Our results may also be affected by factors of which we are not currently aware. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. EyeGate expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to such statements to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any changes in the events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.