EyeTechCare Appoints CEO

EyeTechCare SA, which develops non-invasive therapeutic medical devices for the ophthalmology market, has appointed Dietrich Wolf, Ph.D., as the new chief executive officer. Wolf succeeds Fabrice Romano, co-founder, who remains a member of the board.
 
Wolf is tasked with establishing high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) as a recognized future option in glaucoma care. The company’s EyeOP1 device has been launched to select centers in France and neighboring countries for highly advanced refractory glaucoma. The next steps include further roll out in Europe and preparation for overseas markets. EyeTechCare also plans to research the indication for less advanced glaucoma cases, to further increase the number of patients eligible for this new therapy.

“With Dietrich joining, EyeTechCare strengthens its team to enhance its commercial activities in Europe and to begin its U.S. clinical development,” Board Chairman Bernard Gilly said. “On behalf of the board of EyeTechCare, I would like to thank Fabrice Romano for his seminal contribution to the creation and development of this technology over the past six years.”

Wolf has worked in the medtech industry for 15 years, most recently for Carl Zeiss Meditec, where he helped develop a new technology in oncology. Prior to Zeiss, Wolf worked at different business divisions of Dentsply International in the field of dental implants and high tech ceramics. He holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the University of Erlangen, Germany.
 
“I am delighted to join the highly successful team at EyeTechCare. The HIFU technology holds immense promise and I will continue working with our international clinical partners to take our device further through clinical development and to establish it as a new standard of care in glaucoma treatment,” he said in prepared remarks.
 
EyeTechCare develops non-invasive therapeutic medical devices for the ophthalmology market based on HIFU. The company’s first device, EyeOP1, treats glaucoma, a degenerative disease of the optic nerve often associated with an elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Glaucoma affects about 4 percent of the world’s population and can lead to blindness if the IOP is not controlled adequately over the entire life of the patient.

EyeOP1 utilizes proprietary technology to inactivate parts of the tiny ciliary glands that produce the aqueous humor with utmost precision so as to decrease the IOP while preserving surrounding structures. EyeOP1 has been undergoing clinical trials for highly advanced glaucoma patients in France and Europe and is CE marked. Peer reviewed articles report a promising response rate for this group of patients and a very favorable tolerance profile.

Based in Rillieux-la-Pape, near Lyon, France, EyeTechCare was founded in 2008 by three managers with complementary expertise in the medical, industrial and regulatory fields.