Allegro Ophthalmics Names Melvin Sarayba, MD, Vice President Of Clinical Affairs

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SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — March 7, 2017 — Allegro Ophthalmics, LLC, a biotechnology company focused on the development of novel therapies to treat vitreoretinal diseases, today announced that Melvin Sarayba, MD, has joined the company as vice president of clinical affairs.  In his new role,
Dr. Sarayba is responsible for Allegro’s US and international clinical program for Luminate,® which met its primary and secondary endpoints in the DEL MAR Phase 2b clinical trial for diabetic macular edema (DME), the company announced in October, 2016.

An ophthalmic surgeon with an extensive clinical research background and two decades of product development and commercialization experience, Dr. Sarayba has worked for multiple successful ophthalmic companies, including IntraLase, AMO, WaveTec, LenSx Lasers, Alcon Laboratories and ClarVista Medical.At LenSx, he served as vice president of clinical affairs leading the company’s efforts on ophthalmic medical device product development, product improvement, and new applications.
Dr. Sarayba also has designed and led clinical trials at various stages of the life cycle.  As the head of global medical affairs for the cataract franchise at Alcon, he was responsible for key clinical initiatives for the company’s entire cataract portfolio.  Dr. Sarayba completed his fellowship training at the University of California, Irvine.  He is a prolific innovator with 10 patents and has authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications.

“Melvin’s history of successfully running pivotal clinical trials for innovative startup companies like IntraLase and LenSx and for respected industry leaders like Alcon and AMO make him a valuable addition to the Allegro team,” says Hampar Karageozian, MSc, MBA, co-founder and chief executive officer, Allegro Ophthalmics.  “I am confident that Dr. Sarayba will be an enormous asset to Allegro and will continue to propel Luminate, which has thus far shown very promising efficacy and safety results in Phase 2 clinical trials across multiple indications, through trials and on to commercialization.”

About Luminate
Luminate, a first-in-class integrin peptide therapy, treats vitreoretinal diseases by targeting integrin receptors involved in cell signaling and regulation and in the construction of new and aberrant blood vessels.  By utilizing two mechanisms of action (vitreolysis and anti-angiogenesis), Luminate has been shown in clinical studies to date to effectively regress and inhibit new blood vessel formation, as well as reduce vascular leakage to maintain and restore vision.  Currently in Phase 2 clinical trials for multiple indications, including diabetic macular edema (DME) and non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), Luminate is an investigational drug not approved by the FDA for commercial sale in the U.S. Allegro maintains commercial rights to Luminate in all territories outside of Japan, Korea and China.

About Allegro Ophthalmics, LLC
With more than 100 years of combined experience in ophthalmic drug discovery, development and manufacturing, Allegro Ophthalmics, LLC, is working to establish integrin peptide therapy as the next-generation pharmaceutical category for the treatment of vitreoretinal diseases.  Allegro’s lead investigational drug, Luminate, is currently in Phase 2 studies and has the potential to significantly reduce the current burden of intravitreal injections and to be a viable option for patients with diabetic macular edema, diabetic retinopathy, wet age-related macular degeneration, and vitreomacular traction.  By quickly, safely and cost-effectively bringing to market new and improved treatment options for leading causes of blindness, Allegro is committed to offering patients an improved quality of life sustained by self-sufficient, functional vision.  For more information, visit allegroeye.com.

Luminate® is a registered trademark of Allegro Ophthalmics, LLC.

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