FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich.—Ocuphire Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: OCUP), a clinical-stage ophthalmic biopharmaceutical company, announced the appointments of Ash Jayagopal, Ph.D., MBA as chief scientific and development officer, and Nirav Jhaveri, CFA, MBA as chief financial officer. Dr. Jayagopal is a bioengineer by training with over 15 years of experience leading multidisciplinary research teams focused on therapeutic research and development, drug delivery platforms and biomarkers for retinal diseases in industry and academia. Jhaveri is an accomplished finance and business professional who brings over 20 years of valuation, business development and capital markets experience focused in the biopharma industry.

George Magrath, MD, MBA, MS, CEO commented, “As the biology of Ref-1 continues to exhibit potential as a therapeutic target in patients with diabetic retinopathy, and potentially other indications, Ash and Nirav are critical to our ability to continue progressing APX3330 and its analog compounds in our portfolio, beginning with our phase 3 program in diabetic retinopathy. The team is now set and focused on executing our phase 3 program to turn our science into a reality for patients suffering from diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in America. I'm excited to work alongside such a talented team and together to take on significant unmet medical needs with compelling science.”

Dr. Jayagopal said, “I am excited to join the talented Ocuphire team that has a successful track record in drug development and execution. This is an exciting juncture at Ocuphire as the company continues to strengthen the retina pipeline by advancing APX3330 through clinical development for treating diabetic retinopathy.”

Jhaveri added, “I am thrilled to be joining a company that has the potential to be a leader in ophthalmology drug development. Ocuphire has demonstrated a commitment to addressing an unmet need in ophthalmic disease and I am eager to contribute to its success by helping the company advance to the next stage of growth.”