Our latest industry reporting brings us to a new leader at the helm of Harrow subsidiary ImprimisRx and the formation of a Medical Advisory Board (MAB) at BioTissue, Inc.
Let’s begin with ImprimisRx.
Harrow’s wholly-owned compounding pharmacy subsidiary announced not just one, but two leadership updates earlier this month:
- Frank Mullery as CEO
- Bridseida Cruz as Head of Quality
Tell me about this new CEO.
Mullery brings 20+ years of executive credentials in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.
His most recent position: Serving as president of Sintetica US—a subsidiary of the Switzerland-based international pharma company—which he spearheaded from concept to full commercialization to the eventual launch of its first five sterile injectable products.
And prior to that, Mullery was at:
- STI Pharma as president and chief commercial officer
- Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. / Mylan Institutional as president and chief financial officer
And this new Head of Quality?
Cruz’s executive experience spans 25+ years of leading quality and operations in 503B outsourcing, pharmaceutical, and medical device organizations.
Her areas of expertise include FDA remediation and ensuring compliance remediation plans at such companies as CooperVision, Empower Pharmacy, Central Admixture Pharmacy Services (CAPS), QuVa Pharma, Inc., and B. Braun Medical.
And among her achievements at these pharma companies:
- Leading FDA warning letter and regulatory observation remediation plans
- Commissioning and launching a new FDA-registered compounding facility
So what’s the reasoning behind these new appointments?
Harrow Chairman and CEO Mark L. Baum noted the hires as stepping stones toward the company’s “next exciting operational phase” as a leader in the ophthalmic compounding industry.
- And, of course, this follows on the heels of parent company Harrow (re)acquiring Melt Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Stay tuned for what’s to come with ImprimisRx over the next few months …
Duly noted. And will do. Now on to BioTissue.
Also announced earlier this month was the formation of a new MAB over at BioTissue, a biotechnology company developing products derived from cryopreserved human amniotic and umbilical cord tissues.
Included in its cryopreserved amniotic membrane (CAM) portfolio:
- CryoTek: a proprietary cryopreservation technology designed to maintain tissue’s structural and functional integrity
- Prokera Slim; the only FDA-cleared therapeutic device using CAM for treating anti-inflammation, anti-scarring, and promoting damaged eye surface healing associated with ocular surface disease (OSD)
See here for more products and technology.
Let’s talk MAB.
The new Board members include ophthalmologists and optometrists selected for one specific purpose:
- To provide “clinical expertise and strategic counsel” in helping the company accelerate both its development and adoption of “evidence-based biologic solutions for patients with (OSD) and related conditions,”according to President and CEO Ted Clark.
And these members include … ?
We’ll start with the ophthalmologists:
- Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD
- Refractive, corneal, and cataract surgery specialist (see his leadership credentials)
- Clinical professor of ophthalmology at New York University (NYU)
- In private practice at Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island in Rockville Center, New York
- Marjan Farid, MD
- Corneal transplant, limbal stem cell graft, artificial corneas, and advanced OSD management specialist
- Clinical professor and vice chair of ophthalmology at the University of California (UC) Irvine’s Gavin Herbert Eye Institute
- Francis Mah, MD
- Anterior segment surgery and ocular infectious disease specialist
- Current president of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ASCRS)
- Director of cornea & external disease, co-director of refractive surgery at Scripps Clinic
And the optometrists?
- Paul Karpecki, OD
- OSD and dry eye management specialist
- Director of cornea & external disease at the Kentucky Eye Institute
- Associate professor at the University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Optometry
- Selina McGee, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO
- OSD (specialty lenses and anterior segment) management specialist
- In private practice at BeSpoke Vision
- Adjunct professor at the Northeastern State University College of Optometry
See here for a more in-depth rundown on each MAB member’s credentials.
So! Any recent news from the company to know about?
Yes, actually … new clinical findings on the FDA-cleared Prokera CAM device were presented earlier this month during the 2025 American Academy of Optometry (AAO) annual meeting.
Those details: Investigators conducted a single-center, retrospective, non-randomized, comparative study to evaluate the use of Prokera (or a bandage contact lens) on keratoconus patients who underwent an epithelium (epi)-off crosslinking (CXL) procedure.
And the results?
Essentially, led investigators to determine that Prokera following epi-off CXL “led to a significantly faster return of baseline visual acuity” as well as reduced postop complications.
See here for specifics on the clinical outcomes.