David co-founded EyeBio with Anthony P. Adamis, M.D., in August 2021. Today he holds the title of EyeBio Co-founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). David is also a Venture Partner at SV Health Investors and is Co-Founder and former CEO and Executive Chairman of Iveric Bio (previously Ophthotech). He served as Chairman of Iveric Bio’s board of directors from 2007 to 2017, as CEO from 2013 to 2017, and as Executive Chairman from 2017 to 2021. Under David’s leadership, Iveric Bio entered into a partnership with Novartis that, at the time, was one of the largest ex-U.S. partnering transactions in biotechnology industry history. David in-licensed and developed IZERVAY, which created the first class of complement inhibitors commercially available for patients with dry macular degeneration. This endeavor led to the acquisition of Iveric by Astellas for $5.9B in 2023.
He has expansive medical, drug development, and commercial experience in ophthalmology. His expertise is highly sought after, and he has served on the boards of over 20 companies, both public and private. In addition to co-founding EyeBio and Iveric Bio, David co-founded Eyetech Pharmaceuticals Inc. and served as its CEO and member of the board of directors from 2000 until the company’s acquisition by OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in November 2005. At Eyetech, David developed and commercialized the first anti-VEGF drug for retinal diseases.
David has founded three companies with two of these completing IPOs. All three companies have been successfully acquired.
Prior to co-founding Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, David was a professor and Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at New York University School of Medicine. David received a B.S. from Yale College and an M.D. from Johns Hopkins Medical School. He completed his ophthalmology residency at Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital and a retinal fellowship at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary at Harvard Medical School.
