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Additions to EyeBio’s leadership team include world-class disrupters with deep experience addressing urgent unmet needs in treatment of eye diseases

EyeBio co-founder Anthony P. Adamis, M.D., appointed chief scientific officer to lead development of the Company’s ophthalmology pipeline

Company provides details on Restoret™, which targets the Wnt pathway, as the lead asset in its agonist antibody pipeline, with plans for IND filing in Q2 2023

LONDON and NEW YORK, March 6, 2023 – Eyebiotech Limited (EyeBio), a privately held ophthalmology biotechnology company dedicated to developing and delivering a new generation of therapies to patients with sight-threatening eye diseases, today announced several appointments to its executive team, featuring prominent industry leaders who are highly skilled in the development of multi-specific antibodies and ophthalmic drugs. The Company also announced details on Restoret™, the first asset in a diversified pipeline of multi-specific agonist antibodies. These developments establish the foundation to pursue the company’s mission: to protect, restore, and improve vision for people who are underserved by available eye disease therapies.

“We founded EyeBio to capture scientific advances and translate them into effective treatments for patients with serious eye diseases,” said David Guyer, M.D., co-founder, CEO, and president of EyeBio. “The world-class team we have assembled gives us the talent and resources to continue our rapid progress and success in advancing a strong pipeline. It is a privilege to be surrounded by an elite group of leaders in ophthalmology, many of whom have been working in this space since the dawn of pharmacotherapy for eye disease.”

Appointments to the senior leadership team

EyeBio announced the following appointments to the senior leadership team:

Anthony P. Adamis, M.D., has been appointed chief scientific officer. Dr. Adamis, who co-founded EyeBio in 2021 and Eyetech in2002 with Dr. Guyer, previously served as senior vice president of Product Development and Development Innovation at Genentech, a member of The Roche Group. Over the course of his career, he has led development programs in multiple therapeutic areas and has overseen 25 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals, the most recent of which was faricimab¹, a novel anti-VEGF anti-Ang-2 bi-specific antibody for treating neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME).

“EyeBio is building one of the strongest ophthalmology pipelines in biopharma: Two novel and innovative agonist antibody assets, both with first-in-class and best-in-class potential,” said Dr. Adamis. “I am delighted to join a company that can combine such scientific potential with a global team of highly experienced ophthalmic drug developers.”

“It is a real pleasure to work once again with Tony Adamis, following our successful collaboration at Roche in developing Vabysmo^®, which made a significant difference in patients’ lives,” commented Andreas Wallnoefer, Ph.D., partner at Jeito Capital.

In addition to Dr. Adamis, EyeBio announced senior leadership appointments that further expand its international team of executives and investors with a track record for developing ground-breaking ophthalmology therapies:

• Loni Da Silva, chief regulatory officer, brings extensive ophthalmology regulatory leadership experience and led the first retinal drug approval (Macugen);
• Frances Betts, global head, clinical operations, has recruited thousands of patients into more than 20 ophthalmology clinical trials;
• Mike Davies, chemistry, manufacturing, and control (CMC) lead, drug development, led protein sciences for the development of bispecific antibodies at F-Star Therapeutics; and
• Eric Ng, Ph.D., senior vice president, biology, developed novel therapeutics and animal models in ophthalmology as an Assistant Professor at Harvard University.

These individuals join EyeBio’s established team, which includes:

• Dr. Guyer, Co-Founder, CEO, and president, co-founded Eyetech and Iveric Bio and brings expansive medical, drug development, and commercial experience in ophthalmology;
• Sarah Milsom, chief operating officer, brings experience in life sciences strategy, development, and commercialization;
• Jonathan Prenner, M.D., chief medical officer, is a noted retinal specialist, researcher, and biotech adviser; and
• Paul Stephens, senior vice president, CMC and drug discovery, previously oversaw the transition of novel biologic entities from research to development at UCB Pharma.

“I’m thrilled to see EyeBio grow from the idea on a sheet of paper we developed with David Guyer in 2021 to such a robust, exciting, new company,” said Kate Bingham, EyeBio board chair and managing partner at SV Health Investors. “It is a testament to David and the outstanding team he has brought together. The new additions to the EyeBio leadership team reflect the promise of the company’s science and the potential of its pipeline to benefit patients living with difficult-to-treat ophthalmic diseases.”

“I met with Eyetech, the first company David and Tony founded together, on my first day as a biotech investor at JPMorgan Partners, and it was my first investment,” said Srini Akkaraju, Founder and Managing Partner of Samsara BioCapital. “Ever since, I have continued to support their work to address unmet need in ophthalmology and am thrilled to be working with them again.”

Restoret and the importance of the Wnt pathway

Restoret is a tri-specific Wnt agonist antibody designed to address urgent unmet medical need in patients with back-of-the-eye diseases. The result of a breakthrough in molecular design, Restoret will enable the clinical translation of the extensively studied Wnt pathway for the first time in the eye. Since the discovery that Wnt genes code for proteins that drive normal development and maintenance of the blood-retinal barrier, the Wnt pathway has been a focus of many top research institutes. Published research has shown that Wnt signaling in the retina plays a central role in the maintenance of vascular integrity, and defects in Wnt signaling cause retinal vascular leakage. A mimetic of norrin, which is the natural Wnt ligand in the eye, Restoret has demonstrated efficacy in preclinical ophthalmic models, including validation in genetic models.

The EyeBio team plans to file for clinical trial authorizations to enable a global Phase 1b/2 clinical trial of Restoret in the second quarter of 2023.

A growing, dynamic pipeline

EyeBio has also in-licensed a second bispecific agonist antibody asset for the treatment of retinal diseases, with a separate and complementary mechanism of action to Restoret. These assets signal a diverse pipeline that leverages a core strength in developing multi-specific antibodies and intravitreal retinal therapies.

EyeBio welcomes inquiries regarding in-licensing and acquisition of assets into the company pipeline. Please visit www.eyebiotech.com to learn more.

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About EyeBio (Eyebiotech Limited)

Eyebiotech Limited (EyeBio) is a privately held ophthalmology biotechnology company dedicated to developing and delivering a new generation of therapies to protect, restore, and improve vision in patients with sight-threatening eye diseases. Founded in August 2021 by David Guyer, M.D., and Anthony P. Adamis, M.D., EyeBio has a leadership team composed of serial disruptors in ophthalmology drug development. With operations in the United States and the United Kingdom, EyeBio is building and advancing a pipeline of ocular therapies that combine scientifically robust targets with innovative translational approaches. EyeBio was seeded and created by SV Health Investors and raised a $65 million Series A in February 2022 led by SV Health Investors, alongside Samsara BioCapital and Jeito Capital, with additional financial backing from MRL Ventures. For more information, please see www.eyebiotech.com.

Media Contact:
SmithSolve
Matt Pera
(973) 886-9150
Matt.Pera@nullsmithsolve.com

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1. Vabysmo^® (faricimab-svoa) is approved by the FDA for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME)

Leaders in ophthalmology drug development launch new global company
to build and advance diversified portfolio of ocular therapies

LONDON and NEW YORK, February 22, 2022 – Eyebiotech Limited (EyeBio), a privately held ophthalmology biotechnology company working to deliver a new generation of therapies for eye diseases, today announced the completion of a successful $65 million Series A funding round. SV Health Investors led the round, alongside Samsara BioCapital and Jeito Capital, with additional financial backing from MRL Ventures. The Series A brings together an international team of executives and investors with an extensive track record for developing ground-breaking ophthalmology therapies.

EyeBio was founded in August 2021 by David Guyer, M.D., and Anthony P. Adamis, M.D., working with collaborators at SV Health Investors, who provided seed funding and helped to recruit leadership and to initiate pipeline development. Previously, Dr. Guyer and Dr. Adamis collaborated with SV Health Investors to co-found Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, where they developed and commercialized the first anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drug for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2005.

EyeBio launches with a specific mission: to protect, restore, and improve vision for people who are underserved by available eye disease therapies. The company will use proceeds from the Series A to assemble and develop a diversified pipeline of product candidates that combines scientifically compelling targets with innovative translational approaches. The company has established a footprint in the United Kingdom to take advantage of the innovation-friendly environment for its clinical trial development. EyeBio welcomes inquiries regarding in-licensing and acquisition of assets into its portfolio.

“Advances in research are revealing new opportunities to translate science into solutions that serve patients with eye diseases who have urgent and unaddressed medical needs,” said Dr. Guyer, Co-Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of EyeBio. “Patients and physicians deserve new and better solutions, which is why this team of serial disruptors has banded together to form EyeBio. We are launching at an exciting time, and we are equipped with the resources to make a significant impact.”

“EyeBio is well positioned to improve outcomes for patients by addressing a segment of ophthalmology that needs further innovation,” said Dr. Adamis, Co-Founder, Director, and Chair of the Advisory Board of EyeBio. “Success requires an ability to execute and deliver new therapies with speed and quality. EyeBio has the talent, skillset, and willingness to introduce new solutions to address familiar problems.”

Prior to co-founding EyeBio, Dr. Guyer served as executive chairman and CEO of Iveric Bio, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel treatments for retinal diseases. Dr. Adamis previously served as Senior Vice President of Development Innovation at Genentech, a member of The Roche Group.  Over his career, he led development programs in multiple therapeutic areas and oversaw 25 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals.

The EyeBio management team combines deep experience in ophthalmology with proven innovation and success in clinical development. Leadership includes:

• Sarah Milsom, Chief Operating Officer, who most recently was Vice President of Translation at Touchlight Genetics and has a background in life sciences strategy, development, and commercialization;
• Jonathan Prenner, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, a nationally recognized retinal specialist and current Clinical Professor and Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School;
• Divya Chadha Manek, OBE, Senior Vice President of Clinical Development, who most recently was Director of Business Development and Marketing for the U.K.’s National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network. She also served as the clinical trials workstream lead with the U.K. Vaccine Taskforce (VTF) overseeing the U.K. COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials portfolio;
• Paul Stephens, Senior Vice President of Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC), who previously was Senior Director and Head of Antibody Biology at UCB and brings more than 35 years of experience in the biotechnology industry; and
• Sam Smart, Vice President of Finance, who most recently was Head of Operations at Artios Pharma and brings more than 25 years of experience in the life sciences.

The EyeBio Board of Directors is chaired by Kate Bingham, Managing Partner at SV Health Investors, who was most recently Chair of the U.K. Vaccine Taskforce (VTF). Other Board members include:

• Mike Ross, Ph.D., Managing Partner at SV Health Investors, where he has co-led the biotech franchise for more than 20 years, following more than 20 years in senior operating executive roles for leading biotechnology companies;
• Srinivas Akkaraju, M.D., Ph.D., Founder and Managing General Partner at Samsara BioCapital, with more than 20 years of experience in life sciences venture capital;
• Andreas Wallnoefer, Ph.D., Partner at Jeito Capital, who has extensive experience in the industry as a former member of the Roche R&D Executive Leadership team, where he was involved in several successful product developments, and subsequently as a biotech investor at BioMedPartners; and
• The two co-founders of EyeBio, Anthony P. Adamis, M.D., and David Guyer, M.D.

“EyeBio is a perfect example of SV’s strategy to build world-class companies around emerging science to deliver high-impact drugs to patients,” said Kate Bingham. “The transatlantic team gives us access to the best of clinical development in the U.K. as well as the U.S. I’m thrilled to have the team back together. Srini (Srinivas Akkaraju) and I were the first major investors in Eyetech, where we worked closely with Tony (Anthony P. Adamis) and David. Andreas also has history with the team as he and Tony worked together at Roche to bring faricimab¹ to its recent approval.”

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About EyeBio

Eyebiotech Limited (EyeBio) is a privately held ophthalmology biotechnology company dedicated to developing and delivering a new generation of therapies to protect, restore, and improve vision in patients with sight-threatening eye diseases. Founded in August 2021 by David Guyer, M.D. and Anthony P. Adamis, M.D., EyeBio has a leadership team composed of serial disruptors in ophthalmology drug development. With operations in the United States and the United Kingdom, EyeBio is building and advancing a pipeline of ocular therapies that combine scientifically robust targets with innovative translational approaches. For more information, please see www.eyebiotech.com.

About SV Health Investors

SV Health Investors is a leading healthcare fund manager committed to investing in tomorrow’s healthcare breakthroughs. The SV family of funds invests across stages, geographic regions, and sectors, with expertise spanning biotechnology, dementia, healthcare growth, healthcare technology and public equities. With approximately $2.7 billion in assets under management and a truly transatlantic presence with offices in Boston and London, SV has built an extensive network of talented investment professionals and experienced industry veterans. Since its founding in 1993, SV has invested in more than 200 companies with more than 90 of these having achieved successful acquisitions or IPOs. For more information, please see www.svhealthinvestors.com.

About Samsara BioCapital

Samsara BioCapital is a new breed of biotech investment fund focused on translating cutting-edge biology into new therapies to treat patients with unmet medical needs. Founded in 2016 by Srinivas Akkaraju, M.D., Ph.D., our team of scientists, investors, and entrepreneurs takes a long-term view to value creation across all stages of public and private life science companies. We believe in a collaborative, hands-on approach, working closely with entrepreneurs to harness exciting scientific advances and build leading companies. Samsara actively manages over US $1 billion in assets on behalf of endowments, foundations, and family offices. For more information, visit www.samsaracap.com.

About Jeito Capital

Jeito Capital is a global leading investment company with a patient benefit-driven approach that finances and accelerates the development and growth of ground-breaking medical innovation. Jeito empowers and supports entrepreneurs through its expert, integrated, multi-talented team and through the investment of significant capital to ensure the growth of companies, building market leaders in their respective therapeutic areas with accelerated patients’ access in Europe and the United States. Jeito Capital has €534 million under management. Jeito Capital is based in Paris with a presence in Europe and the United States. For more information, please visit www.jeito.life, or follow on Twitter @Jeito_life or LinkedIn.

About MRL Ventures

MRL Ventures Fund (MRLV) is the therapeutics-focused corporate venture fund of Merck & Co., Inc., with headquarters in Kenilworth, N.J., USA. From its headquarters in Cambridge, Mass., USA, the MRLV team invests globally in early-stage innovative therapeutics companies that are developing transformative medicines in any therapeutic area using any modality. The MRLV team of experienced life-sciences venture capital professionals is committed to supporting great entrepreneurs in their quest to create value through building companies that have a meaningful impact on health and disease. For more information, please visit: www.mrlv.com.

Media Contact:
SmithSolve
Matt Pera
(973) 886-9150

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1. Vabysmo® (faricimab-svoa) is approved by the FDA for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME)