- Prof. Marc de Smet joins Oxular
- Prof. de Smet is a retinal surgeon with more than 30 years of experience in ophthalmic drug and
medical device development
1 February 2019 – Oxular Limited, the Oxford-based retinal therapeutics company, today announces that it has appointed Prof. Marc de Smet to the position of Chief Medical Officer. Marc will be responsible for clinical development, drug safety and medical affairs.
Marc holds a BSC(hon) from the University of Ottawa, MD from McGill University, and a PhD from the University of Amsterdam. Marc completed residency in Ophthalmology in UBC, Vancouver a fellowship in Uveitis at the NEI, and a VR fellowship at Johns Hopkins.
Marc is a practicing vitreoretinal surgeon and has over 30 years of experience in ophthalmic drug and medical device development. Previously, Marc was the NEI/NIH representative responsible for defining clinical trial of Foscarnet, the first approved drug to treat CMV retinitis in AIDS patients. He also initiated the use of Methotrexate for the treatment of intraocular lymphoma and intraocular tuberculosis. In collaboration with Thrombogenics, Marc was responsible for preclinical and clinical activities of Ocriplasmin, leading to the commercialization of Jetrea. Marc also participated in the launch OTI’s transversal retinal OCT imaging and the development of Preceyes BV’s tele-operated robot dedicated to eye surgery.
Marc has held posts a head of the clinical immunology department of the NEI/LI and department head of Ophthalmology at the University of Amsterdam.
Tom Cavanagh, CEO of Oxular commented:
“We are delighted to announce the appointment of Prof. Marc de Smet as Chief Medical Officer. Marc is a well-respected retinal specialist with more than 30 years’ experience in drug and device development plus surgical and medical retina in both the US and Europe. Marc brings a unique combination of practical patient care and product development experience and he will play a key role advancing Oxular’s pipeline of innovative retinal treatments and ocular drug delivery systems.”
