BRIEF—Aerie Pharmaceuticals plan to replace CEO

US ophthalmic drugmaker Aerie Pharmaceuticals today announced that it is executing its succession plan for its chairman and chief executive and that effective September 17, 2021, Vicente Anido no longer serves in these positions, or as a director of the company.

Consistent with the succession plan in place, the board of directors has appointed Benjamin McGraw III, as its interim executive chairman and commenced a search for a new CEO. On the appointment of a new CEO, the company intends to separate the roles of chairman and CEO.

The news comes in the wake of top-line results of its Phase IIb clinical study, named COMET-1, for AR-15512 (TRPM8 agonist) (AR-15512) ophthalmic solution for the treatment of patients with dry eye disease, which did not achieve statistical significance at the pre-determined primary endpoints,

Dr Anido has been the long-time CEO of Aerie, having joined the company as chairman in April 2013 and becoming chief executive a few months later.