Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company devoted to the development and commercialization of treatments for rare and serious eye diseases, is proud to announce the appointment of Francis Mah, M.D. as its Chief Medical Advisor.
Dr. Mah will provide guidance in Kala’s clinical development and medical operations, working to strengthen relationships between the company and eye care professionals. While taking on this new role, Dr. Mah will remain in his current post as Director of Cornea and External Disease and Co-Director of Refractive Surgery at Scripps Clinic.
Kala Pharmaceuticals is delighted to announce the appointment of Francis as its Chief Medical Advisor. With his considerable medical knowledge and research background, as well as his experience as the principal investigator on multiple clinical trials, Francis is a great addition to the team.
His expertise will be instrumental in advancing KPI-012 for persistent corneal epithelial defect (PCED) and other rare diseases. This week, the CHASE (Corneal Healing After SEcretome therapy) Phase 2b trial of KPI-012 for PCED yielded positive safety results and is advancing to the second cohort.
With the CHASE trial underway, Kala is eager to collaborate with Francis to explore the potential of KPI-012 for other rare eye diseases.
I am thrilled to partner with the Kala team to bring KPI-012 to the forefront for the treatment of PCED. As a physician, I understand the need for treatments that can effectively and safely improve wound healing, no matter the cause.
Kala’s mesenchymal stem cell secretome platform offers a novel solution to this challenge, and I believe KPI-012 has the potential to offer a wide-ranging treatment option for those suffering from PCED. I look forward to supporting Kala in the execution of the CHASE trial, while also exploring ways to extend KPI-012 to treat other rare ocular diseases.
Dr. Mah is a highly esteemed ophthalmologist and educator with over 20 years of clinical practice experience and a stellar record of achievements. He is currently the Director of Cornea and External Disease and the Co-Director of Refractive Surgery at Scripps Clinic Medical Group in La Jolla, CA and has contributed more than 80 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters on his research.
His expertise has been sought after globally as he has presented his work in more than 20 countries across 6 continents. Dr. Mah graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A. and earned his M.D. from the Medical College of Ohio at Toledo. He completed his residency in ophthalmology and a fellowship in cornea and refractive surgery at the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Mah is a leader in the field of translational research, having served as principal investigator for numerous clinical trials and investigator-initiated studies.
He has chaired the Corneal Clinical Committee, served on the FDA Committee and the Executive Committee of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, co-chaired the Preferred Practice Patterns for Cornea and External Disease and is a member of the cornea section of the Basic and Clinical Science Course for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. His dedication to the field has made him a renowned expert in the field.
About KPI-012 for Persistent Corneal Epithelial Defect (PCED)
Persistent corneal epithelial defect (PCED) is a rare but serious disease, estimated to affect 100,000 people in the US and 238,000 people in the US, EU and Japan combined annually. Left untreated, PCED can lead to infection, corneal ulceration or perforation, scarring, opacification and significant vision loss.
The cause of this condition can vary from neurotrophic keratitis, microbial/viral keratitis, corneal transplant, limbal stem cell deficiency, mechanical and chemical trauma, or even surgical epithelial debridement.
Unfortunately, PCED can be difficult to treat due to its refractory nature to conventional treatments. Therefore, it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of PCED in order to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Kala believes that KPI-012 could revolutionize the treatment of PCED, becoming the first approved treatment for this condition. With its multi-faceted action and preclinical and clinical data to back it up, KPI-012 could represent a major breakthrough in the management of PCED, regardless of its underlying cause.
About Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Kala is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing innovative therapies to those suffering from rare and severe eye diseases.
Utilizing its proprietary mesenchymal stem cell secretome (MSC-S) platform, Kala’s lead product candidate, KPI-012, is a human MSC-S with numerous beneficial biofactors, such as growth factors and neurotrophic factors, that could potentially correct impaired corneal healing – a cause of multiple severe ocular diseases.
KPI-012 has received orphan drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is currently in clinical development for the treatment of persistent corneal epithelial defect (PCED).
Kala is also exploring the potential of KPI-012 for the treatment of Partial Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency and ocular manifestations of moderate-to-severe Sjögren’s, and is investigating the use of its MSC-S platform for retinal degenerative diseases, such as Retinitis Pigmentosa and Stargardt Disease.