— Ron Kurtz, MD, and Mark Livingston Join Allegro Ophthalmics’ Board of Directors
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA —AUGUST 1, 2016 — Allegro Ophthalmics, LLC, a late stage biotechnology company focused on the development of therapies to treat vitreoretinal diseases, today announced that Ron Kurtz, MD, president and CEO of Calhoun Vision, and Mark Livingston, president and CEO of PrimaPharma, have been elected to Allegro’s board of directors.
“Ron and Mark bring tremendous operational, financial and leadership expertise and experience to Allegro,” said Hampar Karageozian, MSc, MBA, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Allegro Ophthalmics. “As a successful entrepreneur and a retina specialist, Ron brings a unique set of business and clinical skills. Mark has an impressive record leading several successful companies, and is also a CPA with significant financial expertise. I am confident they will make considerable contributions as we move our lead drug candidate Luminate® through clinical trials and will be instrumental in ensuring Allegro reaches its goals.”
“It is a very exciting time to be joining Allegro’s board of directors,” said Dr. Kurtz. “Luminate has shown excellent safety and positive efficacy data in clinical trials to date. I look forward to assisting with the analysis of the ongoing trials and working with the management team on the strategic development of Luminate.”
“I have worked closely with Allegro over the past six years and am honored to be joining their board,” said Mr. Livingston. “I have tremendous respect for Hampar and the other board members, and I look forward to working with them to move the company forward.”
Dr. Kurtz is the president and CEO of Calhoun Vision, developer of a proprietary intraocular lens (IOL) that can be enhanced post-operatively to reduce spectacle dependence. He was previously co-founder, president and CEO of LenSx Lasers, which was acquired by Alcon in 2010, and of IntraLase Corporation, which was acquired by Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) in 2008. A retina specialist, Dr. Kurtz served on the faculty at the University of Michigan and the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Kurtz earned his BA in Biochemistry from Harvard College and his MD from the University of California, San Diego.
Mr. Livingston has been at the helm of several organizations over the last 25 years, including President and CEO of PrimaPharma, a CDMO that has been instrumental in providing solutions to Allegro’s clinical trial and manufacturing needs. He is founding partner at accounting firm Campbell Boyd & Livingston and has served in a variety of executive leadership roles at several well-known corporations, including Motels of America, Road Runner Sports, and Sims Snowboards. A founding shareholder of PrimaPharma’s predecessor entity, Sorrento Biochemical, Mr. Livingston has served on the product advisory board of Blanchard Training and Development and on the board of The Planning Forum, as well as being a past chairman of The Management Consulting Services committee for the San Diego chapter of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.
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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