Amring Pharmaceuticals Inc, a subsidiary of Nordic Group B.V. (Nordic Pharma), has named Eric Donnenfeld, MD, chair of its U.S. Medical Advisory Board (MAB).
Give me a quick company refresh.
Based in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Amring Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2015 as a privately held pharmaceutical manufacturing company offering niche generic formulations and “value-driven brands” to the market.
Amring also maintains partnerships with global biopharmaceutical companies to deliver biotechnology-based medicines.
Nordic Pharma, its United Kingdom-based parent company, is a privately owned marketing and sales pharmaceutical company currently working on developing and commercializing specialty products in a number of therapeutic areas—including ophthalmology.
Now talk about Dr. Donnenfeld.
Named by Newsweek as the best ophthalmologist in the U.S. for the last 3 years (2023, 2022, and 2021), Dr. Donnenfeld is a cornea, laser, and refractive surgeon at Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island and Ophthalmic Consultants (OCLI) Vision—of which he is a founding partner—in Garden City, New York, and Fairfield, Connecticut.
His experience has made him an internationally-recognized expert and pioneer in the aforementioned fields, as well as one of the leading refractive and cataract surgeons in the country:
- Serves on the Board of Overseers of Dartmouth Medical School
- Clinical professor of Ophthalmology at New York University Medical Center
- National Medical Director of TLC Laser Eye Centers
- Surgical Director of the Lions Eye Bank for Long Island
- Chief Medical Editor of EyeWorld (official publication of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS))
- 2013-2014 president of ASCRS
- Past chief resident at Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital in New York City, New York
See here for an extended look at his clinical experience and accomplishments.
Gotcha. Now wasn’t this MAB just established?
Good memory! Just last month, Amring announced the appointment of Jai G. Parekh, MD, MBA, FAAO, as chief operating officer (COO), Eyecare U.S., as well as the formation of its MAB.
The new board members include:
- Richard Lindstrom, MD
- Vance Thompson, MD
- Preeya Gupta, MD
- Paul Karpecki, OD, FAAO
- Lisa Nijm, MD, JD
- Selina McGee, OD, FAAO
So what’s up and coming at Amring?
The addition of Dr. Donnenfeld to the company coincides with Nordic Pharma’s upcoming launch of its newest dry eye product (which it acquired through its purchase of Visant Medical, Inc, in December 2023): LACRIFILL.
And LACRIFILL is …
A cross-linked hyaluronic acid (HA)-based canalicular occlusive device designed to block tear drainage via occlusion of the canalicular system.
The patented therapy device was granted FDA 510(k) clearance in 2022, can be routed to an established CPT reimbursement code (68720), and is indicated for up to 6 months of use in patients experiencing dry eye symptoms.
For some background: LACRIFILL was developed in partnership with the French manufacturing company Symatese SAS, a designer of advanced medical device solutions via its technology portfolio of HA, collagen, thermoplastics, and silicone materials.
What’s significant about this device?
Once commercialized, LACRIFILL would be Nordic Pharma’s second branded medical device in the U.S.—and it would strengthen the company’s position in the global ophthalmology market.
And what will be Dr. Donnenfeld’s role in this launch?
According to Philip Gioia, president of the U.S. LACRIFILL launch team, Dr. Donnenfeld’s 30-year clinical experience will provide valuable insights for developing physician-led strategies to enhance the patient experience and phase 4 study initiatives for the device.
“I’m excited to be part of the LACRIFILL launch as this technology is disruptive and will change the way we practice ophthalmology and optometry,” stated Dr. Donnenfeld.