Burns McClellan for Eyetech Pharmaceuticals,Friday, November 15, 2002
NEWS RELEASE
Arda Ural Appointed Head of Marketing and Sales at Eyetech Pharmaceuticals
New York, November 15—Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs for the treatment of eye disease, today announced the appointment of Mr. Arda Ural as Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales. Mr. Ural’s team will be responsible for the launch and commercialization of Eyetech’s lead compound, Macugen™ (pegaptanib sodium) pending the successful completion of Phase III clinical trials and FDA’s approval.
Eyetech Pharmaceuticals recently announced completion of enrollment in two pivotal Phase III trials of Macugen for the treatment of exudative (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness among Americans over the age of 55. Eyetech is developing Macugen, an aptamer that binds to and neutralizes Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), alone and in combination with photodynamic therapy (PDT) for patients eligible for PDT. The FDA granted Macugen “fast-track” designation for the treatment of exudative AMD as well as diabetic macular edema (DME) because of the product’s potential to fulfill an unmet medical need.
According to Eyetech Pharmaceuticals co-founder and CEO, Dr. David Guyer, “The Company’s progress in clinical testing and Macugen’s ‘fast-track’ designation necessitate that we rapidly build an experienced and strategically focused marketing and sales organization.” Dr. Guyer commented further, “Arda has had a distinguished career in the commercialization of some of the world’s best-known pharmaceutical products including Viagra® and Celebrex®. He has also demonstrated superior team-building capabilities, and we are very pleased to welcome him to our team.” Mr. Ural will serve on the Company’s Executive Committee.
“This is an exciting time for Eyetech, which is gaining increased momentum and recognition for its efforts to discover and develop breakthrough sight-saving therapeutics,” said Mr. Ural. “I look forward to the opportunity to develop a high-performing team to introduce the first of many breakthrough products that can benefit major segments of the population which are currently underserved.”
During his pharmaceutical career stretching over ten years, Mr. Ural has spearheaded marketing, sales and business development initiatives in the United States and globally. Most recently, Mr. Ural was Pfizer’s Team Leader for Celebrex in the United States and was responsible for worldwide consumer promotion efforts for both Celebrex and Bextra®, Pfizer’s recently launched COX-2 inhibitor.
Mr. Ural has BSc and MSc degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Bosporus University in Istanbul, Turkey where he had taught material science prior to joining Pfizer in 1992. He also has an MBA degree from Marmara University in Istanbul, and completed Harvard Business School’s Executive Development Program.
About Eyetech Pharmaceuticals
Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately held, New York City-based biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs to reduce and prevent vision loss caused by eye diseases. Eyetech is also focused on developing new technologies to deliver drugs safely to the back of the eye. The Company has brought together experienced pharmaceutical industry executives and a world-class team of thought leaders in ophthalmology from leading medical centers such as Harvard, Stanford, University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins, NYU and Columbia.
Contact:
Justin Jackson
Burns McClellan for Eyetech Pharmaceuticals
212-213-0006
