Ocuphire Pharma to Host Key Opinion Leader Event on Nyxol® and APX3330

Live Webinar Featuring 3 KOLs Focused on Front and Back of the Eye Conditions and Opportunities for New Treatments on Monday, November 9, at 10:00am ET

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Nov. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ocuphire Pharma, a clinical-stage ophthalmic biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for the treatment of several eye disorders, today announced it will host a Key Opinion Leader (KOL) webinar to discuss the current treatment landscape within the indications for its two lead drug candidates. Nyxol is an eye drop formulation of phentolamine entering Phase 3 clinical development for night vision disturbances andreversal of mydriasis, and Phase 2 for presbyopia. APX3330 is an oral small molecule in Phase 2 development for diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema.

The call will feature presentations by Jay Pepose, M.D., Ph.D. (Pepose Vision Institute), who will discuss the future treatment landscape and unmet need for night vision disturbances and presbyobia, and Paul M. Karpecki, O.D., F.A.A.O. (Kentucky Eye Institute), who will further examine the unmet needs of presbyopia as well as reversal of mydriasis. Both will share thoughts on the potential for treating multiple indications with Nyxol. Peter Kaiser, M.D. (Cleveland Clinic) will speak to the current treatment landscape in retinal diseases and its limitations, with a focus on new treatment options including oral APX3330 for diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema. All three KOLs will be available to answer questions following the presentations.

Ocuphire's management team will also give an update on their two product candidates, Nyxol and APX3330. Nyxol is a once-daily preservative-free eye drop formulation of phentolamine, a non-selective alpha-1 and alpha-2 adrenergic antagonist designed to reduce pupil size and improve visual acuity. Start-up activities for two Phase 3 trials and one Phase 2 trial for Nyxol are underway in: 1) night vision disturbances, 2) reversal of pharmacologically-induced mydriasis, and 3) presbyopia. APX3330 is an oral Ref-1 inhibitor designed to inhibit angiogenesis and inflammation pathways involved in the disease pathology of diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema. Start-up activities are underway for a Phase 2 program in these patients.

To register for the webinar, please click here.

Dr. Jay Pepose is the founder and the current Medical Director of the Pepose Vision Institute. He also founded the Midwest Corneal Research Foundation, now the Lifelong Vision Foundation, as an independent offshoot of the Pepose Vision Institute. He is also a professor of clinical ophthalmology and visual sciences at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Dr. Pepose is a specialist in refractive surgery and corneal and external diseases. He is a consultant to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Pepose is actively involved in clinical research trials and has been the recipient of R-01 grant support from the National Eye Institute. He has served on the editorial board of several prestigious journals, including the American Journal of Ophthalmology, Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS), Cornea, and The Journal of Refractive Surgery. Dr. Pepose has published over 160 peer-reviewed articles and a book on ocular infections and inflammatory diseases. Dr. Pepose received an A.B. and M.A. in neurophysiology from Brandeis University and completed the M.D.- Ph.D. program at the UCLA School of Medicine. He completed his ophthalmology residency at the Wilmer Institute at the Johns Hopkins Medical Center and his fellowship training at Georgetown University Medical Center.

Dr. Paul Karpecki received his Doctor of Optometry degree from Indiana University and completed a fellowship in Cornea in Kansas City in affiliation with the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. He currently serves as Director of Cornea Services for Kentucky Eye Institute in Lexington KY, Gaddie Eye Centers in Louisville KY, and Midwest Center for Sight in Carmel IN. He is the Chief Medical Editor for Review of Optometry, chairman of the NTT Conferences and heads the journal’s clinical content. He is Medical Director for KEPLR Vision and for the Dry Eye Institutes of Kentucky and Indiana. He was appointed co-chair for the previous two Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society Symposia and served on the DEWS II Diagnostic Methodology Committee. In 2017-2018 he completed a full year preceptorship in advanced retinal disease at Retina Associates of Kentucky, one of the top 20 retina programs in the country. He currently serves as an Associate Professor at the Kentucky College of Optometry and on the board of the charitable organization Optometry Giving Sight.

Dr. Peter Kaiser is a clinical research expert, serving as Study Chairman of five major multi-center, international clinical trials, and principal investigator in numerous other studies for Age-related Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy and other retinal disorders. He is the founder and director of the Digital Optical Coherence Tomography Reading Center (DOCTR), Editor-in-Chief of Retinal Physician, Associate Editor of International Ophthalmology Clinics, and serves on the editorial boards of Retina, Retina Today, and Ocular Surgery News. He is a National Institute of Health funded investigator, leading a team involved in the evaluation of vascular biology in age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Dr. Kaiser serves on numerous scientific advisory boards and addresses his research interests as an invited speaker at national and international conferences. He is a major contributor to the medical literature having authored seven textbooks, and more than 250 peer-reviewed papers, and has been recognized by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Society of Retina Specialists with Senior Achievement Awards and is listed as one of the “Best Doctors in America.” Dr. Kaiser graduated magna cum laude with Highest Honors from Harvard College and Harvard Medical School. He completed an ophthalmology residency at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and a vitreoretinal fellowship at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute before joining the vitreoretinal department of the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland, Ohio.

About Ocuphire Pharma
Ocuphire a clinical-stage ophthalmic biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for the treatment of several eye disorders. Ocuphire’s pipeline currently includes two small-molecule product candidates targeting front and back of the eye indications. Please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov to learn more about Ocuphire’s recent Phase 2 clinical trials. For additional company information, please visit www.ocuphire.com.

Company Contact:
Mina Sooch, President & CEO
Ocuphire Pharma, Inc.
(248) 681-9815
msooch@ocuphire.com

Investor Contact:
Corey Davis, Ph.D.
LifeSci Advisors
212-915-2577
cdavis@lifesciadvisors.com

Released November 3, 2020