BUSINESS WIRE
ALAMEDA, Calif., Sep 15, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
InSite Vision Incorporated
/quotes/zigman/132427 INSV
+5.46%
today announced the appointment
of a new Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) to help guide and shape its
research programs in the development of novel ophthalmic medicines.
Members of InSite's SAB represent leaders in ophthalmic research,
treatment and clinical drug development, including Richard Lindstrom,
M.D., Gary Foulks, M.D., Michael Lemp, M.D., and Kelly Nichols, O.D.,
M.P.H., Ph.D. The SAB will be led by InSite's Chief Medical Officer,
Kamran Hosseini, M.D., Ph.D. and Brian Levy, O.D., a member of InSite's
Board of Directors, will also participate in all SAB meetings.
"We are very pleased to bring together these key eye care thought
leaders to establish the InSite Vision Scientific Advisory Board. Their
deep insight into the etiology of important ocular diseases will be
instrumental in advancing our therapeutic programs," said Dr. Hosseini.
"The interest and direct participation of these world-class medical
professionals on our SAB reflects the progress InSite is achieving in
the development of ocular medicines. Our SAB members have already made
significant contributions to our current clinical development programs,
providing input on trial protocols and endpoint design. We look forward
to future contributions in the same vein."
Richard Lindstrom, M.D., founder and attending surgeon of the Minnesota
Eye Consultants and Adjunct Professor Emeritus at the University of
Minnesota Department of Ophthalmology, is a board certified
ophthalmologist and internationally recognized leader in ocular surgery.
He has been at the forefront of ophthalmology's evolutionary changes
throughout his career as a recognized researcher, teacher, inventor,
writer, lecturer and highly acclaimed physician and surgeon. He is Chief
Medical Editor of the USA and International editions of Ocular Surgery
News. Dr. Lindstrom is past President of the American Society of
Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ASCRS). He serves on the ASCRS
Executive Committee and is the Chair of the ASCRS Foundation. Dr.
Lindstrom is also past President of the International Society of
Refractive Surgery, the International Intraocular Implant Club, and the
International Refractive Surgery Club. He is also the Global Education
Liaison of the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the
American Academy of Ophthalmology. Prior to joining the SAB, Dr.
Lindstrom provided valuable guidance to InSite Vision on the protocol
for the Phase 3 DOUBle clinical study for AzaSite Plus(TM) (ISV-502) and
DexaSite(TM) (ISV-305).
Gary Foulks, M.D., is Emeritus Professor of Ophthalmology at the
University of Louisville School of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology
and Visual Sciences and is former Assistant Dean for Clinical Trial
Research at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. Dr. Foulks
has authored more than a hundred publications regarding his research in
a wide variety of ophthalmologic areas and he is currently active in
clinical trial research in ocular surface disease, dry eye and contact
lens wear. Dr. Foulks presently is Editor-in-Chief of The Ocular Surface
and is on the editorial boards of Cornea and the Eye and Contact Lenses
(formerly the CLAO Journal). Before becoming an SAB member, Dr. Foulks
consulted with InSite Vision on the DOUBle study protocol, as well as on
the trial design for the company's Phase 1/2 clinical trial of ISV-101
for the treatment of dry eye.
Michael Lemp, M.D., is a corneal specialist with a major research focus
in dry eye and ocular surface disease where his work stands as the
worldwide standard for the design of clinical trials for dry eye. He has
served as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at
Georgetown University, as an officer and board member of many national
and international ophthalmic organizations, member of the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) Ophthalmic Devices Advisory Board, and National
Institutes of Health (NIH) Study Sections and advisory committees. Dr.
Lemp has authored over 200 scientific articles and five books, and has
served on national, international and government advisory boards. He is
the Founding Editor-in-Chief of The Ocular Surface. He is
currently Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Georgetown and George
Washington Universities and is the Chief Medical Officer of Tearlab Inc.
Kelly Nichols, O.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., is a Professor at the University of
Houston College of Optometry where she currently has an NIH grant to
study dry eye in postmenopausal women. Dr. Nichols received a Doctor of
Optometry degree from U.C. Berkeley and an M.P.H. and Ph.D. from Ohio
State University. She serves as a medical advisor to the Sjogren's
Syndrome Foundation and sits on the governing board of the Tear Film and
Ocular Surface Society and the Ocular Surface Society of Optometry. She
participates as a reviewer for NIH Study Sections and is a member of
several prominent ophthalmic journal editorial boards. Dr. Nichols has
served as principal investigator or participated in numerous
industry-sponsored studies in dry eye and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction
(MGD), and recently served as the chair of the International Workshop on
MGD. Dr. Nichols lectures and writes on dry eye, contact lenses,
diabetes and public health, and women's health issues.
Dr. Brian Levy, O.D., joined the Board of Directors with more than
thirty years of industry experience. He is currently the Chief
Scientific Officer of Nexis Vision, which is developing a novel
refractive surgery technology. Among his many accomplishments, he
oversaw the development of Besivance(R), an InSite
Vision-licensed drug, while serving as a Corporate Vice President and
Chief Medical Officer of Bausch & Lomb.
About InSite Vision
InSite Vision is advancing new and superior ophthalmologic products for
unmet eye care needs. The company's product portfolio utilizes InSite
Vision's proven DuraSite(R) bioadhesive polymer core
technology, an innovative platform that extends the duration of drug
retention on the surface of the eye, thereby reducing frequency of
treatment and improving the efficacy of topically delivered drugs. The
DuraSite platform is currently leveraged in two commercial products for
the treatment of bacterial eye infections, AzaSite(R)
(azithromycin ophthalmic solution) 1%, marketed in the U.S. by Merck,
and Besivance(R) (besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension) 0.6%,
marketed by Bausch & Lomb and their partner Pfizer Inc. InSite Vision's
clinical-stage ophthalmic product pipeline includes AzaSite Plus(TM)
(ISV-502) and DexaSite(TM) (ISV-305) for the treatment of eye infections,
BromSite(TM) (ISV-303) for pain and swelling associated with ocular
surgery, and ISV-101 for the treatment of dry eye disease. For further
information on InSite Vision, please visit
www.insitevision.com .