Jeff Francis (l) and Sam Fakhoury.

PONTE VEDRA, Fla.—Orasis Pharmaceuticals, an ophthalmic pharmaceutical company, has announced the appointments of Jeff Francis as vice president of sales and Sam Fakhoury as vice president of quality and operations to Orasis' executive leadership team. Both are newly-created positions within the company. Their combined expertise and leadership will support critical functions in the organization, the company said, to advance the commercial launch of Qlosi (pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution) 0.4%, a corrective eye drop for the treatment of presbyopia in adults.

"We are delighted to welcome Jeff and Sam to our executive leadership team, both are recognized leaders in the eyecare sector," said Paul Smith, president and chief operating officer of Orasis Pharmaceuticals. "These appointments mark a critical milestone as we build out our organization to bring an alternative treatment option to patients seeking a break from reading glasses."

Francis has extensive experience in business development and commercial execution across high-growth organizations, according to the announcement, and will focus on the buildout and deployment of the Orasis sales team to support the launch of Qlosi. He was previously general manager of the glaucoma business unit at Sight Sciences. His expertise spans sales, marketing, strategic planning and team development, having led large-scale initiatives at companies including Nestle Skin Health and Alcon Laboratories.

 
Fakhoury has 20 years of experience in the medical device and pharmaceutical sectors, with a strong focus on operations, regulatory compliance, risk management and global quality systems, according to the announcement. Throughout his career, he has contributed to major industry companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Baxter Healthcare and Abbott Laboratories. Most recently, as chief operating officer of Trukera Medical, Fakhoury successfully led the quality, supply chain and operational efforts leading up to the company's acquisition by Bausch + Lomb.