Graybug Vision Appoints Dirk Sauer to Board of Directors
April 13 2022 - 4:05PM
Graybug Vision, Inc. (Nasdaq: GRAY), a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative
medicines for the treatment of ocular diseases, today announced the
appointment of Dirk Sauer, PhD, to the Graybug Board of Directors,
effective April 13, 2022. Dr. Sauer will serve as a member of the
Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board. He will
also chair the Science and Innovation Committee, the purpose of
which is to advise the Board on the company’s research and
development as well as clinical manufacturing and control
strategies.
Dr. Sauer succeeds Gerald Cagle, PhD, who is retiring from the
Graybug Board after eight years of service. Dr. Cagle will continue
to advise the Graybug Executive Team and the Board as a member of
the Science and Innovation Committee.
"On behalf of the entire Board, I would like to thank Jerry for
his significant contributions, as well as his leadership in
establishing Graybug’s Science and Innovation Committee,” said
Christy Shaffer, PhD, Chair of the Graybug Board. “We are pleased
to welcome Dirk Sauer to the Board as Jerry’s successor. His deep
expertise in ophthalmic drug development will be invaluable as
Graybug continues to advance its pipeline to address
vision-threatening ocular diseases with high unmet needs."
Dr. Sauer is an expert in global pharmaceutical development with
more than 30 years of experience in ophthalmology and neuroscience.
He successfully led numerous projects and teams during all phases
of the drug development process. Prior to retiring from Novartis in
2021, Dr. Sauer led the company’s Ophthalmology Development Unit
for more than nine years, and during that time built a development
portfolio for treatments of both the back and front of the eye,
including small molecules, biologics, gene therapies and digital
therapeutics.
Dr. Sauer joined Ciba-Geigy in 1989 as a postdoctoral fellow in
the Neuroscience Preclinical Research Department. He subsequently
held various positions of increasing responsibilities within
preclinical, clinical research, and project management working on
acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases such as stroke, head
trauma, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and ALS at
Ciba-Geigy and Novartis. In 2005, Dr. Sauer joined the
Ophthalmology Business Unit at Novartis as Senior Global Project
Leader for Visudyne and Lucentis. In 2011, Dr. Sauer was appointed
Global Development Unit Head for the Novartis Ophthalmology
Development Unit, which subsequently included the development unit
of the former Alcon Pharma franchise. Dr. Sauer has a degree in
Pharmacy from the University of Münster, and a PhD in Pharmacology
from the University of Marburg, Germany.
About Graybug
Graybug is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on
developing transformative medicines for ocular diseases. The
company’s diversified portfolio is designed to treat
vision-threatening diseases of the retina, optic nerve, and cornea,
by either maintaining effective drug levels in ocular tissues for
long periods of time, using innovative technologies, such as
injectable sustained-release formulations, or by curing diseases
with gene therapies. Graybug’s most advanced drug candidate,
GB-102 is a microparticle formulation of a
pan-VEGF inhibitor, sunitinib, for the treatment of wet age-related
macular degeneration designed for a twice-per-year intravitreal
injection. GB-102 has the potential to also benefit patients with
diabetic retinopathy. GB-401 is a first-in-class
implant formulation containing a novel prodrug of timolol for the
treatment of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) designed for a
twice-per-year intravitreal injection with a proprietary
applicator. GB-501 is an adeno-associated virus
(AAV) gene therapy with Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) and Rare
Pediatric Disease Designation (RPDD) to treat corneal clouding
caused by mucopolysaccharidosis type 1 (MPS1), a lysosomal storage
disorder. GB-601 is being developed as a
long-acting formulation of a novel cGMP analog to address
hereditary retinal diseases like retinitis pigmentosa, a group of
genetic disorders that involve a loss of cells in the retina.
GB-701 is being developed as a long-acting
formulation of a potent factor B inhibitor targeting the complement
cascade which plays a role in AMD. Founded in 2011 based on
technology licensed from the Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine, Graybug has offices in Redwood City, California and in
Baltimore, Maryland. For more information, please visit
www.graybug.vision.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including, but not limited
to, statements regarding the company’s clinical pipeline, its
ability to advance GB-102, GB-401, GB-501, GB-601, GB-701 or any
future product candidate through preclinical or clinical
development, its ability to conduct planned operations within the
evolving constraints arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the
results of its clinical trials. Forward-looking statements are
subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause the company’s
actual activities or results to differ significantly from those
expressed in any forward-looking statement, including risks and
uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” in the
company’s annual report on Form 10-K filed for the year ended
December 31, 2021, in its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and in
the other reports the company files from time to time with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking
statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and the
company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any
forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after
the date hereof.
Investor ContactIR@graybug.vision(650)
487-2409 |
Media Contactmedia@graybug.vision(404)
384-0067 |
Graybug Vision (NASDAQ:GRAY)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2024 to Jul 2024
Graybug Vision (NASDAQ:GRAY)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2023 to Jul 2024