He’ll also serve as SVP.
WATERTOWN, MA — EyePoint Pharmaceuticals Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company committed to developing and commercializing innovative ophthalmic products, announced the appointment of Leonard M. Blum as executive vice president and general manager, U.S., effective May 14.
In this role, he will be responsible for the launch of DEXYCU (dexamethasone intraocular suspension) 9%, the company’s U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved product for the treatment of postoperative inflammation, and, subject to FDA approval, YUTIQ (fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant) for the treatment of posterior segment uveitis, which has an FDA action date of Nov. 5, 2018. DEXYCU and, if approved, YUTIQ, are expected to launch in the first half of 2019. Blum will assume responsibility for all of the company’s sales, marketing, payor access and trade efforts, as well as the company’s business developments efforts.
Blum brings to EyePoint more than 30 years of executive and management experience, most recently serving as chief business and commercial officer of Omeros Corp., where he oversaw sales and marketing efforts for OMIDRIA, a product used by ophthalmologists in conjunction with cataract surgery and intraocular lens replacement to maintain pupil size and reduce postoperative pain. Prior to joining Omeros in 2016, he served as senior vice president, chief commercial officer at Theravance Inc., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company, and its spin-off company, Theravance BioPharma, from 2007 until 2016. In this capacity, he collaborated with Astellas Pharma in the launch of VIBATIV, a drug for the treatment of hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia and complicated skin and soft structure infections, and with Glaxo SmithKline in the launches of BREO and ANORO, two combination therapies for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. Prior to that, Blum founded and led the commercial functions at ICOS Corp., a biotechnology company, progressing from vice president, marketing to senior vice president, sales and marketing, from 2000 until the company’s acquisition by Eli Lilly and Co. in 2007. At ICOS, he was responsible for the launch and commercialization of CIALIS, which is the worldwide top selling treatment for erectile dysfunction.
Blum began his career in the pharmaceutical industry at Merck & Co., where he spent 13 years in positions of increasing responsibility in marketing and business unit leadership in the U.S. and Europe. Over these years, Blum was responsible for more than a dozen product launches in several therapeutic categories and markets.
Blum earned his A.B. in economics, magna cum laude, at Princeton University, studied International Finance on a Fulbright Fellowship at the University of Zurich and completed an M.B.A. at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Before entering the pharmaceutical industry, Blum served as an officer in the U.S. Army Special Forces, and completed his military service at the rank of captain.
“It is a pleasure to welcome Leonard to EyePoint Pharmaceuticals at such an exciting juncture for the Company,” said Nancy Lurker, president and CEO of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals. “His extensive experience with the successful launches of multiple products across a range of therapeutic categories will be invaluable as we continue to lay the groundwork for the U.S commercialization of both DEXYCU and, subject to FDA approval, YUTIQ, in the first half of 2019. We look forward to his insights and expertise as we continue our planned transformation into a sustainable ophthalmology growth company.”
“With the recent acquisition of Icon Bioscience Inc. and its U.S. FDA-approved product, DEXYCU, and a pending new drug application for YUTIQ, EyePoint has the potential to establish itself as an innovative leader in the ophthalmic therapeutic market,” said Blum. “I look forward to working with the rest of the EyePoint team to ensure the Company’s successful transition into a commercial entity.”