Orasis Pharmaceuticals Appoints Teresa (Tes) Ignacio, M.D. as Vice President, Medical Affairs

HERZLIYA, Israel, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Orasis Pharmaceuticals, an emerging ophthalmic pharmaceutical company focused on developing a unique eye drop to improve near vision for people with presbyopia, today announced the appointment of Teresa (Tes) Ignacio, M.D. as Vice President, Medical Affairs. Dr. Ignacio, a fellowship-trained Ophthalmologist, brings over a decade of experience in research and development, clinical and medical affairs.

"I am thrilled to join Orasis Pharmaceuticals at such a pivotal time as we advance CSF-1 toward commercialization," said Dr. Ignacio. "It's a privilege to be part of this team as we pioneer a preservative-free presbyopia solution designed with the patient in mind."

Paul Smith, President and Chief Operating Officer of Orasis, added, "We are pleased to have Tes join the Orasis team at such a critical time with the completion of Phase 3 NEAR-1 and NEAR-2 clinical trials and pre-commercialization efforts underway. We look forward to leveraging her expertise as we complete the analysis of our Phase 3 studies and begin sharing those results with the scientific community."

Dr. Ignacio brings extensive experience in providing scientific and medical affairs strategy for the ophthalmic market, from early development stage to product life cycle management. She has also led several product launches across surgical device, pharmaceutical and over-the-counter markets. Dr. Ignacio trained at UC Irvine as a Cornea and Refractive Research Fellow and completed her ophthalmology residency at Makati Medical Center in the Philippines.

Presbyopia is the loss of ability to focus on near objects as a result of the natural aging process. It occurs mostly after the age of 40 when the crystalline lens of the eye gradually stiffens and loses flexibility. There are almost two billion people globally and more than 120 million people in the U.S. living with presbyopia. People with presbyopia experience blurred vision when performing daily tasks that require near visual acuity, such as reading a book, a restaurant menu, or messages on a smartphone. Presbyopia cannot be prevented or reversed, and it continues to progress gradually. Many existing treatment options can be either cumbersome or invasive, presenting a significant unmet need for quality-of-life improvement for people with presbyopia.

Orasis Pharmaceuticals is developing CSF-1, a corrective eye drop for the treatment of presbyopia as an alternative to reading glasses. By repurposing existing and well-studied molecules, CSF-1 is designed to be effective, safe, comfortable, and easy-to-use. Orasis is led by a collaborative team of industry executives and eye care specialists with a broad range of experiences in research, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical drugs, as well as finance and business development. Orasis is funded by a diverse group of sophisticated and experienced life science and healthcare investors including the ophthalmology focused venture capital fund Visionary Ventures, Sequoia Capital, SBI (Japan) Innovation Fund, Bluestem Capital, LifeSci Venture Partners, Maverick Ventures Israel, and other private investors. Orasis is based in Herzliya, Israel. For more information, visit www.orasis-pharma.com and connect with us on LinkedIn: LinkedIn.  

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SOURCE Orasis Pharmaceuticals