Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced it has selected Elizabeth Yeu, MD, as its chief medical officer for the company’s newly-developed Medical Organization.
Tell me about Dr. Yeu.
Dr. Yeu brings 20+ years of clinical experience to her new position.
Since 2020, she has served as Tarsus’s chief medical advisor—as well as a board member since 2021—and is a partner in practice at Virginia Eye Consultants in Norfolk, Virginia.
- Her specialities: cataracts, LASIK refractive surgery, corneal disease, dry eye, and uveitis
Also: She serves as assistant professor of ophthalmology at Eastern Virginia Medical School, where she trains residents.
Go on …
Dr. Yeu is an executive board member of CVP Physicians, Mid Atlantic and currently serves on the Board of Directors for:
- STAAR Surgical
- The Virginia Eye Foundation
Her experience also extends to serving as:
- Assistant professor (Baylor College of Medicine’s Cullen Eye Institute)
- Chief resident (Rush University Medical Center)
And her memberships include:
- Examiner (American Board of Ophthalmology)
- Chair (Refractive Surgery Section, annual meeting program committee, American Academy of Ophthalmology)
- Immediate past president (American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery)
Nice! Now to her new role.
As we mentioned earlier, Dr. Yeu will be responsible for leading the strategy, direction, and execution of Tarsus’s new medical organization.
Per the company, this section consists of both the medical affairs and pharmacovigilance teams, including:
- Evidence generation
- Medical education
- Oversight of patient safety
Any input from her on this?
Dr. Yeu expressed her enthusiasm, stating that she looks forward to “contributing full time to the company’s efforts to deliver novel therapies, such as XDEMVY, to more patients and ensuring my fellow clinicians have the evidence and information they need to provide optimal care to their patients.”
Tarsus President and CEO Bobby Azamian, MD, PhD, also noted that Dr. Yeu’s “unique clinical perspective” has been instrumental in the company’s pipeline advances—and will be crucial in its ongoing XDEMVY promotion.
So … when does this position take effect?
It already has (as of Nov. 4, 2024)!
Nice! Now, speaking of XDEMVY … what’s new with the company?
First: Tarsus earned FDA approval in July 2023 for XDEMVY (lotilaner ophthalmic solution, 0.25%), indicated for treating Demodex blepharitis—and commercially launched the product in the U.S. in August 2023.
- Notably: This was the first (and, to date, only) therapeutic approved that directly targets Demodex blepharitis.
- Learn about this lotilaner formulation and how it plays into its role as an antiparasitic agent to eliminate Demodex mites.
And since then?
The company has turned its attention to clinically investigating TP-03 (the unapproved version of XDEMVY) for the treatment of meibomian gland disease (MGD) in patients with Demodex mites.
For example: In December 2023, Tarsus reported positive data from the phase 2a Ersa clinical trial (NCT05454956) evaluating the ophthalmic formulation for this proposed indication.
The data so far: TP-03 demonstrated “statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements” when compared to baseline in two measures:
- Presence and quality of liquid secretion, according to the Meibomian Gland Secretion Score (MGSS, scoring range of 0-45)
- Number of glands producing normal liquid, as measured in the central 15 glands of the lower eyelid
Read our coverage for further details.
This definitely sounds promising … what’s next for this indication?
As we previously reported, the company is using this data to continue discussion with the FDA regarding a potential U.S. market approval.
And, in the meantime, keep an eye out for new data on TP-03 for MGD at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO), taking place later this week in Indianapolis, Indiana!