MONTREAL, Quebec, September 28, 2021 - Mimetogen Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“Mimetogen”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of 5% tavilermide, a first-in-class synthetic neurotrophin mimetic of nerve growth factor (NGF) for the treatment of dry eye disease (DED), today announced the appointment of David Guyer, M.D., to its Board of Directors and of Jay Stuart Pepose, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Advisor, effective today.
“On behalf of the entire Board and management team, it is a privilege to welcome David and Jay to the Mimetogen team” said Marty Wax, M.D., chairman of the Board. “Dr. Guyer brings vast knowledge as a seasoned executive and entrepreneur in the ophthalmology space, with an expertise in strategic planning, business and clinical development, fundraising, and merger and acquisitions”. “We are also thrilled to add the expertise of Jay, as Chief Medical Advisor to our leadership team. Dr Pepose immediate contribution as both a practicing ophthalmologist and a recognized thought leader in the field of dry eye comes at the perfect time as we continue to advance the development of 5% tavilermide”.
“I am very excited to be joining Mimetogen at this exciting phase in its development, as it seeks to confirm the potential of 5% tavilermide recently demonstrated in its first Phase 3 clinical trial.” said Dr. David Guyer. “Dry eye disease remains a challenging area for drug development, with few therapies and many untreated patients. With its neuro-sensory modulating properties, 5% tavilermide has the potential to become a first-in-class, well-tolerated therapy that effectively treats both signs and symptoms in moderate to severe DED patients.” added Dr. Pepose
Dr. Guyer re-joined SV Life Sciences, a venture capital firm focused on healthcare, in 2021 as venture partner where he has previously been both venture partner and partner from 2006 to 2013 until he founded Ophthotech (now Iveric Bio), a biotech focused on the discovery and development of treatments for retinal diseases. Dr. Guyer also co-founded Eyetech Pharmaceuticals Inc. and served as its Chief Executive Officer and as a member of its Board of Directors from 2000 until it was acquired by OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in November 2005. Prior to co-founding Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Guyer was a professor and served as Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at New York University School of Medicine.
Dr. Guyer received a B.S. from Yale College and an M.D. from Johns Hopkins Medical School. Dr. Guyer completed his ophthalmology residency at Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital and a retinal fellowship at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Pepose has nearly 40 years of experience as both a treating physician and a widely published researcher. He is the founder and current Medical Director of the Pepose Vision Institute and a professor of Clinical Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at Washington University School of Medicine in St-Louis. Dr. Pepose is actively involved in clinical trials and has served as an investigator on over 30 studies evaluating new therapeutics and technology in a broad range of ophthalmic indications, including dry eye. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles and has served on the editorial boards of several prestigious ophthalmology journals.
Dr. Pepose received an A.B. and M.A. in neurophysiology from Brandeis University and completed the M.D.-Ph.D. program at the UCLA School of Medicine. Dr. Pepose completed his ophthalmology residency at the Wilmer Institute at the Johns Hopkins Medical Center and his fellowship training at Georgetown University Medical Center.
About Tavilermide (MIM-D3)
Tavilermide is a small cyclic peptidomimetic drug that mimics nerve growth factor (NGF). Preclinical studies showed that tavilermide is a partial TrkA receptor agonist, activating and potentiating the effects of NGF, which is an essential growth factor for the health and healing of the ocular surface. Tavilermide is differentiated from other investigational therapies in the dry eye pipeline because it addresses some of the multifactorial mechanisms of DED by facilitating protein secretions from the conjunctival glands which line the inside of the eyelids that help keep the ocular surface lubricated under normal conditions. 5% tavilermide is a preservative-free aqueous, sterile ophthalmic solution and has completed one Phase 2 and one Phase 3 DED clinical trial, where safety and efficacy has been demonstrated.
About Dry Eye Disease
Dry eye disease (DED) is a disease of the tears and ocular surface characterized by dysfunction of the lacrimal glands that could lead to poor tear quality or insufficient tear levels due to inadequate production or excessive tear evaporation. If untreated, DED has a negative effect on visual function and patient eye comfort making it more difficult to perform common activities such as reading or using a computer or reading for extended periods. DED is a large growing market, with approved treatment options in North America limited to anti-inflammatory medications.
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