March 29, 2023
Ophthorobotics, a company pioneering the development of an automated intravitreal injections system, today announced that Bernhard Günther has been appointed as the Company’s Chairman of the board of directors of the company, concurrent with his role as CEO, replacing Marco Bundi, PhD who will remain as board member and legal advisor of Ophthorobotics.
Bernhard Günther has more than three decades of healthcare business expertise. He especially brings comprehensive experience in the development and commercialization of ophthalmology products at Novaliq, a global innovation leader in the treatment of Dry Eye Disease. Prior to joining Ophthorobotics, he worked at Novaliq for 15 years, most recently as President of Novaliq Inc. in Cambridge, USA. Before Novaliq, Bernhard Günther was CEO at Fluoron GmbH for 9 years. A company developing and commercializing proprietary intraocular staining solutions and retinal endotamponades. Previous roles in his career include Managing Director Marketing & Sales at Geuder AG, Heidelberg and Chief Executive Officer at Smart Care GmbH, Berlin.
“We are delighted to have Bernhard join our senior executive team as Chairman of the Board,” said Stephan Michels, MD, co-founder, board member and CMO of Ophthorobotics. “We are about to transition into a clinical-stage company and Bernhard ’s expertise and leadership skills will be very valuable for further advancing our robot prototype IID. I want to recognize and thank Marco for his numerous contributions to Ophthorobotics. As the companies’ legal advisor, Marco realigned the company, thus ensuring its financial stability and developmental strength. “
“I am thrilled to join Ophthorobotics at this crucial development stage” added Bernhard Günther, Ophthorobotics’s new CEO and Chairman of the Board. “Our robotic system is designed to be the first remotely working intravitreal injection system to administer medications for the treatment of sight threatening retinal diseases, in particular age-related macula degeneration. With our lead product IID the company has demonstrated proof-of-mechanism in preclinical models and is currently developing a clinical prototype to enter human trials in 2024. I would also like to thank my predecessor as CEO, Miguel Serrano, for his 1 year of service to Ophthorobotics. “
About Ophthorobotics
Ophthorobotics is pioneering the development of a remote-controlled robotic system for intravitreal injections, specifically for the treatment of age-related macula degeneration. A prototype of ist lead product IID is currently in preclinical trials at the ETH in Zurich. Age related macula degeneration (AMD) is the primary cause of blindness in industrialized countries with a blindness prevalence of 8.7%. In the past only the neovascular form of the disease was treatable. However, a new drug for the intravitreal treatment of geographic athropy (GA), a subform of dry AMD, has been recently approved by FDA and might further increase the need for intravitreal injections significantly.
For further information please contact:
Ophthorobotics AG
Bernhard Günther
Chief Executive Officer & Chairman of the Board
info@ophthorobotics.com
