EyeGate Appoints Mike Garanzini as Chief Commercial Officer to Develop and Implement Global Launch Strategy

A product marketing veteran with an ophthalmology focus at companies such as Santen, Merck and Pharmacia

WALTHAM, Mass., Nov. 01, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EyeGate Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYEG) (“EyeGate” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage, specialty pharmaceutical company with two proprietary platform technologies for treating diseases and disorders of the eye, has appointed Mike Garanzini as Chief Commercial Officer, effective immediately.

Mr. Garanzini will be responsible for developing and implementing the global launch and commercialization strategy for Eyegate’s pipeline of product candidates.

“As we prepare to transition from a clinical to commercial organization, the need to accelerate development of the launch plan became clear,” commented Stephen From, President and Chief Executive Officer of EyeGate. “We are fortunate to have landed Mike for this very important role and look forward to supporting his efforts.”

Mr. Garanzini has more than 25 years of marketing experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Prior to joining EyeGate, he was the Global Marketing Therapy Leader for the Glaucoma Portfolio at Santen, where he was responsible for providing strategic direction to advance glaucoma products, including the acquisition and integration of the InnFocus MicroShunt. Prior to assuming that role, Mr. Garanzini served as Santen’s Head of Marketing, Europe where he played a key role in the integration of the Merck Ophthalmic products, establishing operations throughout Western Europe and ultimately led the total portfolio of glaucoma, dry eye and retinal disease products. Previously, Mr. Garanzini was the Senior Director of Global Marketing, Ophthalmology at Merck, where he was in charge of overseeing strategic planning, medical education, opinion leader relations and co-promotion alliances on a global basis while also having specific geographical responsibility for Europe. Earlier in his career at Merck, Mr. Garanzini held two non-ophthalmic product-specific roles, as U.S. Director of Marketing for Levitra and Asmanex in the Primary Care markets where he gained important DTC experience. Mr. Garanzini has also held sales and marketing positions in Pharmacia’s ophthalmology division, where he was part of the team responsible for the launch and growth phase of Xalatan and time managing surgical products used in cataract and glaucoma surgery. Mr. Garanzini holds a B.S. in Engineering from Michigan State University.

“EyeGate’s pipeline of ophthalmological treatments have the potential to solve numerous problems in eye care, providing significant benefit to patients in need,” commented Mr. Garanzini. “I am thrilled to be a part of EyeGate as the company enters an exciting phase of growth and expansion and I look forward to developing a strategy to bring these product candidates to market.”

About EyeGate 

EyeGate is a clinical-stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products using its two proprietary platform technologies for treating diseases and disorders of the eye.

EyeGate’s most advanced platform is based on a cross-linked thiolated carboxymethyl hyaluronic acid (“CMHA-S”), a modified form of the natural polymer hyaluronic acid (“HA”), which is a gel that possesses unique physical and chemical properties such as hydrating and healing when applied to the ocular surface. The ability of CMHA-S to adhere longer to the ocular surface, resist degradation and protect the ocular surface makes it well-suited for treating various ocular surface injuries.

EGP-437, EyeGate’s other product in clinical trials, incorporates a reformulated topically active corticosteroid, Dexamethasone Phosphate that is delivered into the ocular tissues through EyeGate’s proprietary innovative drug delivery system, the EyeGate II Delivery System.  For more information, please visit www.EyeGatePharma.com.

EyeGate Social Media

EyeGate uses its website (www.EyeGatePharma.com), Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ EyeGatePharma/), corporate Twitter account (https://twitter.com/EyeGatePharma), and LinkedIn page (https://www.linkedin.com/company/135892/) as channels of distribution of information about EyeGate and its product candidates. Such information may be deemed material information, and EyeGate may use these channels to comply with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Therefore, investors should monitor EyeGate’s website and its social media accounts in addition to following its press releases, SEC filings, public conference calls, and webcasts.  The social media channels that EyeGate intends to use as a means of disclosing the information described above may be updated from time to time as listed on EyeGate’s investor relations website.

Forward-looking Statements

Some of the statements in this press release are “forward-looking” and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These “forward-looking” statements include statements relating to, among other things, the commercialization efforts and other regulatory or marketing approval efforts pertaining to EyeGate’s products, including EyeGate’s EGP-437 combination product and those of Jade Therapeutics, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EyeGate, as well as the success thereof, with such approvals or success may not be obtained or achieved on a timely basis or at all. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from the statements set forth in this press release, including, among other things, certain risk factors described under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in EyeGate’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 23, 2017 or described in EyeGate’s other public filings. EyeGate’s results may also be affected by factors of which EyeGate is not currently aware. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. EyeGate expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to such statements to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any changes in the events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Contact:
Lee Roth / Janhavi Mohite
The Ruth Group for EyeGate Pharmaceuticals
646-536-7012 / 7026
lroth@theruthgroup.com / jmohite@theruthgroup.com

Released November 1, 2017