BVI Medical and Neurotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. have each appointed executive leadership veterans to the role of chief commercial officer (CCO).
Andrew Chang will step into the newly-created role at BVI, while Beth Marsh assumes her new responsibilities at Neurotech by the end of the month.
How exciting! First, a refresh on the two companies.
Headquartered in Walham, Massachusetts, BVI Medical is a medical equipment manufacturer specializing in the surgical ophthalmic space.
- Its product portfolio of ophthalmic equipment, devices, instruments, and surgical fluids is designed for such procedures as: cataract, glaucoma, and vitreoretinal, among others.
Neurotech, meanwhile, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing sustained drug deliveries for chronic retinal diseases—with a specific focus on macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel), a neurodegenerative retinal disease.
- Most recently: The company received FDA approval for the first-ever treatment for MacTel (but more on that later).
Now to these new CCOs … starting with BVI.
With over 20 years of commercial leadership experience specializing in the ophthalmic medical device and pharmaceutical sectors, Chang joins BVI after serving in two executive roles at ZEISS Medical Technology:
- President of Carl Zeiss Meditec USA
- Head of Global Sales for Zeiss Ophthalmic Devices
Prior to that, he held commercial leadership positions at ISTA Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Bausch + Lomb), B+L, and OptiMedica.
Check out the plethora of ophthalmic industry and advisory boards he serves on.
And what will his focus be at BVI?
As CCO, Chang is expected to lead the company’s global sales, global marketing, and commercial excellence teams—reporting directly to President and CEO Shervin Korangy.
Any commercialization plans on the horizon?
Indeed there is! In fact, just last week BVI was granted FDA clearance for Leos, its next-generation laser endoscopy ophthalmic system.
A quick rundown: Leos is designed to provide a more intuitive laser endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP) procedure that integrates into the surgical workflow.
- Even further: It is also reported to be the only laser system that lowers intraocular pressure (IOP) by addressing aqueous humor production in a minimally-invasive ab interno procedure.
Those commercialization plans: Slated for this fall.
Nice! Next up: Neurotech’s CCO.
Marsh brings over 20 years of experience as a commercial and strategic business executive in ophthalmology (with a specific focus on retina).
Prior to joining Neurotech, she most recently served as vice president, North America Sales and Marketing in Ophthalmology at Apellis Pharmaceuticals.
- In that role: Marsh led the U.S. commercial launch of SYFOVRE (pegcetacoplan), notably the first FDA-approved treatment for geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
And before her time at Apellis, she held commercial and business development leadership positions at:
- Shire/Takeda Pharmaceuticals
- Aciex Therapeutics
- Johnson & Johnson Vision Care
- Santen Pharmaceutical
So what will she be focusing on at Neurotech?
Beginning April 28 (her official start date), Marsh will lead the company’s commercialization efforts in preparing for the U.S. launch of ENCELTO (revakinagene taroretcel-lwey).
Take note: ENCELTO is the first and only FDA-approved treatment for adults with idiopathic MacTel.
Update me on this therapeutic.
Granted approval just last month, ENCELTO is Neurotech’s allogeneic encapsulated cell-based gene therapy designed to provide a sustained-release drug delivery via the company’s encapsulated cell therapy (ECT) core platform technology. Read up on it here.
In ENCELTO’s case: The ocular implant depends on the ECT platform to deliver therapeutic doses of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNF; a key cytokine with a neuroprotective effect on retinal degeneration) to slow MacTel progression.
- See complete details on its indications, recommended dosage, and usage.