Aerie Pharmaceuticals Appoints Peter J. McDonnell, M.D., to the Company’s Board of Directors

Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AERI), an ophthalmic pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of first-in-class therapies for the treatment of patients with open-angle glaucoma, dry eye, retinal diseases and potentially other diseases of the eye, today announced that Peter J. McDonnell, M.D., has been appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors and will also be a member of both the Nominating and Corporate Governance and Compensation Committees of the Board.

Dr. McDonnell has served as the William Holland Wilmer Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of the Wilmer Eye Institute at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the largest ophthalmology department in the country, since 2003. A board-certified ophthalmologist and specialist in corneal disease and surgery, Dr. McDonnell is an international leader in corneal transplantation, laser refractive surgery and the treatment of dry eye. He has published over 250 scientific articles and holds ten patents. A member of many professional ophthalmology and medical societies, Dr. McDonnell has been the Chief Medical Editor of Ophthalmology Times since 2004 and has also served on the editorial boards of numerous ophthalmology journals. He also serves as the Immediate Past President and director of the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research and the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research and is Vice President of the Pan-American Ophthalmological Association, the second largest professional organization of ophthalmologists in the world.

“We are very pleased to welcome Peter to the Company’s Board. As a highly respected leader in ophthalmology, his clinical experience and broad business perspective will be invaluable as we continue to grow our glaucoma franchise and advance our clinical pipeline,” said Vicente Anido, Jr., Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Aerie.

“I am excited to join Aerie’s board. As a clinician, I have seen firsthand the positive impact of Rhopressa and Rocklatan on glaucoma patients and look forward to working with the Company’s Board and management team as Aerie also addresses the unmet needs in dry eye and retinal disease,” said Peter J. McDonnell, M.D.

About Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Aerie is an ophthalmic pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of first-in-class therapies for the treatment of patients with open-angle glaucoma, dry eye, retinal diseases and potentially other diseases of the eye. Aerie’s first product, Rhopressa (netarsudil ophthalmic solution) 0.02%, a once-daily eye drop approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, was launched in the United States in April 2018. In clinical trials of Rhopressa, the most common adverse reactions were conjunctival hyperemia, corneal verticillata, instillation site pain, and conjunctival hemorrhage. More information about Rhopressa, including the product label, is available at www.rhopressa.com. Aerie’s second product for the reduction of elevated IOP in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, Rocklatan (netarsudil and latanoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.02%/0.005%, the first and only fixed-dose combination of Rhopressa and the widely-prescribed PGA (prostaglandin analog) latanoprost, was launched in the United States in May 2019. In clinical trials of Rocklatan, the most common adverse reactions were conjunctival hyperemia, corneal verticillata, instillation site pain, and conjunctival hemorrhage. More information about Rocklatan, including the product label, is available at www.rocklatan.com. Aerie continues to focus on global expansion and the development of additional product candidates and technologies in ophthalmology, including for wet age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema. More information is available at www.aeriepharma.com.