Ocular Therapeutix Announces Appointment of Karen-Leigh Edwards as Senior Vice President of Technical Operations

Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. (NASDAQ:OCUL), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the formulation, development, and commercialization of innovative therapies for diseases and conditions of the eye, today announced the appointment of Karen-Leigh Edwards as Senior Vice President of Technical Operations. Dr. Edwards will join the senior leadership team and be responsible for technical development, manufacturing, quality and supply chain operations.

“We are excited to welcome Karen-Leigh to the Ocular team,” said Antony Mattessich, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ocular Therapeutix. “With experience across multiple disciplines at several leading pharmaceutical companies, Karen-Leigh’s proven ability to develop supply chains and global manufacturing strategies will be key as we seek to grow and maximize the value of our leading ophthalmic franchise.”

Dr. Edwards has over 20 years of experience building high-performance, global enterprise-wide manufacturing operations as well as CMC and product lifecycle management strategies. Prior to joining Ocular, Dr. Edwards held multiple positions of increasing responsibilities at Alexion Pharmaceuticals. Most recently, she served as the Head of External Manufacturing and Operations and built a high-performance global manufacturing organization across the U.S., Europe and Asia, with the agility and flexibility required to deliver Alexion’s growing commercial portfolio. Prior to Alexion, Dr. Edwards held multiple positions at Biogen, Inc., including roles in portfolio management, pharmaceutical development, product quality, global supply chain and contract manufacturing. She holds an M.B.A. from MIT Sloan School of Management, a Ph.D. in Bioinorganic Chemistry from the University of Kansas, an M.Sc. in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of London, and B.Sc. in Chemistry/Analytical Chemistry from the University of the West Indies.

"The impressive launch and growth of DEXTENZA along with the continued development of Ocular’s rich pipeline of novel ophthalmic products, many of which are approaching late-stage clinical development, make this an exciting time to join the team,” said Dr. Edwards. “I look forward to working with the technical operations team as we endeavor to build a world-class manufacturing organization to support the Company’s growth strategies.”