MELBOURNE, Australia and PRINCETON, N.J.—Opthea Limited (ASX/NASDAQ: OP), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has announced executive leadership changes in commercial and finance, as well as senior hires for biometrics, clinical operations and market access. Daniel Geffken, co-founder and managing director at Danforth Advisors, will assume the role of chief financial officer on an ad-interim basis, reporting to Opthea CEO Frederic Guerard, PharmD, the company stated. Geffken succeeds Peter Lang, who is leaving the company for personal reasons. Additionally, Mike Campbell has been appointed chief commercial officer, also reporting to Guerard, and is succeeding Judith Robertson, who is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities.

Dr. Dayong Li has been appointed senior vice president of biometrics, reporting to Dr. Julie Clark, senior vice president of clinical development Opthea. In addition, Jen Watts has been appointed vice president of global clinical operations, reporting to Guerard. Watts succeeds Bruno Gagnon, BPharm, MSc. Lastly, Anthony Bonifazio has been appointed vice president of market access, reporting to Campbell. All changes are effective Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. 
 
The company advised that the organizational changes further deepen Opthea’s expertise in retina and expand its clinical capabilities, while advancing commercial readiness, in anticipation of the phase 3 topline data readout of sozinibercept in wet AMD next year. 

“On behalf of the board of directors and the entire Opthea team, I would like to thank Judy, Peter, and Bruno for their leadership and significant contributions at a critical time in Opthea’s journey from a development-stage biopharmaceutical company to a commercial-ready organization,” said Guerard. “We wish them continued success in their professional and personal lives.”

He added, “I would like to extend a warm welcome to Dan, Mike, Dayong, Jen and Anthony to the Opthea team. They are joining our company at a critical time, as we prepare for the phase 3 topline data readout of sozinibercept in wet AMD and ready our organization for a potential product launch. They will play a key role in realizing our ambitious goal of bringing sozinibercept to wet AMD patients, helping them achieve superior vision for greater independence in their lives.”