Waltham, Mass., February 28, 2013 – Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading developer of innovative products that rapidly and effectively penetrate the mucosal barrier to treat a wide range of debilitating diseases, announced today that it has appointed ophthalmic industry veteran Kim Brazzell, Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Brazzell will be responsible for leading the Company's global clinical development strategy and clinical operations as its lead ophthalmic candidates advance toward clinical development.
"Kala is initially focusing its internal drug development efforts on innovative ophthalmic treatments and Dr. Brazzell's leadership in the successful development of a number of FDA-approved ophthalmic products is ideally suited to our efforts to accelerate Kala's ophthalmic programs," Guillaume Pfefer, Ph.D., Kala's CEO.
"Kala has developed a unique approach to transform treatments for both front and back of eye diseases with topically administered eye drops capable of penetrating the mucosal barrier in the eye," said Dr. Brazzell. "I look forward to working with the team at Kala to advance these game-changing treatments for patients in need."
Dr. Brazzell brings more than 25 years of experience in the ophthalmic pharmaceutical industry to Kala. Previously, he held several executive positions at Inspire Pharmaceuticals, including Executive Vice President, Medical and Scientific Affairs, Executive Vice President and Head, Ophthalmology Business and Senior Vice President of Ophthalmic Research and Development. Prior to joining Inspire, he served as Global Head of Clinical R&D and Senior Vice President, U.S. R&D, of Novartis Ophthalmics. He has extensive experience in the discovery and development of multiple successful ophthalmic products including Visudyne®, Zaditor®, RESCULA® and Betoptic S®. In addition to managing the global clinical R&D group for Novartis Ophthalmics, Dr. Brazzell built and managed the U.S.-based R&D group for Ciba Vision Ophthalmics, while serving as their Vice President, R&D, and served as Associate Direct or, R&D, at Alcon Laboratories, Inc. Dr. Brazzell received a B.S. in pharmacy and a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Kentucky.
About Kala Pharmaceuticals
Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is developing innovative products which are capable of penetrating mucosal barriers for the treatment of major diseases that affect the eyes, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and female reproductive system. Mucosal barriers have been largely overlooked as a limitation for drug efficacy. Using the company's proprietary technology platform, Kala's Mucosal-Penetrating Products (MPPs) have the unique ability to rapidly and uniformly coat and permeate mucosal tissues leading to highly effective treatments with improved side effect profiles. The company is leveraging its platform as an internal product engine for a wide spectrum of potential applications, including treatments for respiratory, ophthalmic, female reproductive tract and gastrointestinal diseases. Kala is also pursuing collaborations with partners to transform the therapeutic properties of marketed drugs and compounds in development. Kala was founded by leaders in the fields of nanomedicine and biopharmaceutical engineering, Dr. Justin Hanes of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Robert Langer of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Dr. Colin Gardner formerly of TransForm Pharmaceuticals/Johnson & Johnson and Merck. The company is now backed by leading investors including Lux Capital, Polaris Venture Partners, Third Rock Ventures and, Crown Venture Fund, LLC. For more information, please visit www.kalarx.com.