Ocuphire Pharma, Inc. announced that it has appointed Rick Rodgers as interim CEO and president. Mr. Rodgers is succeeding Mina Sooch. Ocuphire has retained an executive search firm to assist in identifying a permanent CEO.
“Ocuphire is at an exciting point in its evolution, and we are pleased to have Rick serve as CEO on an interim basis as we conduct a search for our next CEO,” said Cam Gallagher, chairman of the Board of Directors. “Rick’s experienced leadership at late-stage biopharmaceutical companies will be invaluable as we execute our strategy, which is now primarily focused on advancing APX3330 into phase 3 for diabetic retinopathy and securing regulatory approvals for Nyxol across three indications. Rick has a proven track record in creating value and we look forward to his contributions during this leadership transition at Ocuphire.”
Mr. Rodgers commented “I am honored to serve as interim CEO of Ocuphire at this critical juncture in the company’s maturation. I look forward to working closely with the management team to seamlessly execute our near-term priorities. These include holding an end-of-phase 2 meeting with the FDA to solidify the phase 3 design and path to registration for APX3330, our oral candidate for diabetic retinopathy. If approved, APX3330 has the potential to be a valuable non-injection option for the millions of diabetic retinopathy patients at risk of progressing to vision impairment. For Nyxol, our first NDA for the reversal of pharmacologically-induced mydriasis has a PDUFA date in September 2023, and we look forward to working with the FDA through the regulatory review process. We are excited to be partnered with Viatris which has selected the Nyxol portfolio of indications as a key element of its plan to create a global eye care leader.”
Rick Rodgers is a seasoned operating executive with 20 years of experience in biopharmaceutical management. He has served on the Ocuphire Board as chair of the Audit Committee and member of the Compensation Committee since the merger with Rexahn Pharmaceuticals Inc. in 2020.
From 2010 to 2013, he was co-founder, executive vice president, chief financial officer (CFO), secretary, and treasurer of TESARO, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company that was acquired in December 2018 by GSK. From 2009 to 2010, Mr. Rodgers served as the CFO & senior vice president of Abraxis BioScience, Inc., a biotechnology company that was acquired by Celgene. From 2004 to 2008, Mr. Rodgers served as senior vice president, controller and chief accounting officer of MGI PHARMA, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company that was acquired in January 2008 by Eisai.
Mr. Rodgers received a BS in financial accounting from St. Cloud State University in 1990, and an MBA in finance from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Business in 2002.