WATERTOWN, Mass.—EyePoint Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:EYPT), a specialty biopharmaceutical company, has appointed David Guyer, MD, to the company’s board of directors, according to an announcement last week. Guyer, who also will serve on the company’s science committee, has led several public and private biotechnology companies focused on ocular diseases, and he has held leadership positions in academia and at health care venture capital firms. Dr. Guyer currently serves as executive chairman of Ophthotech Corp., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company specializing in gene therapy treatments for ocular diseases, which he co-founded.

“Dr. Guyer has had a highly successful and multifaceted career in the ophthalmology space,” Goran Ando, MD, chairman of EyePoint’s board of directors, said in the announcement. “As the former chief executive officer, chairman and board member of numerous ocular disease companies, he has garnered valuable expertise in accelerating the growth of ophthalmology companies by overseeing pipeline creation, fund-raising, business development, mergers and acquisitions, commercial launches and regulatory affairs.”

Ando added, “As we focus on our goals for 2019, including the upcoming commercial launches of two ophthalmic products in the first quarter of 2019, we will greatly benefit from Dr. Guyer’s extensive success and capability as a strategic advisor and executive in the ophthalmology space.”

“EyePoint is a company well-suited to take on its mission of addressing the serious unmet needs in ocular diseases that may lead to blindness,” Dr. Guyer said in the announcement. “I look forward to supporting EyePoint’s two near-term product launches and assisting the company on its exciting mission to prevent and treat serious eye diseases.”

Before founding Ophthotech, Dr. Guyer served as a partner and venture partner at SV Life Sciences Advisers, a venture capital firm focused on health care. He co-founded Eyetech Pharmaceuticals and served as its chief executive officer and as a member of its board from 2000 until it was acquired by OSI Pharmaceuticals in November 2005.

EyePoint Pharmaceuticals (formerly pSivida Corp.) is committed to developing and commercializing innovative ophthalmic products in indications with high unmet medical need to help improve the lives of patients with serious eye disorders.