French clinical stage biotech Eyevensys has appointed Dr Ronald R. Buggage as chief medical officer, the company announced on Monday.

Eyevensys is developing its proprietary EyeCET platform, the first non-viral gene expression technology that allows the safe, local, sustained production of therapeutic proteins in the eye which can be used to treat an array of ophthalmic diseases.

Dr Buggage has more than 14 years' experience in large pharma and biotech companies. He has worked in senior development positions for a number of years, with roles taking him across the US and Europe.

At Eyevensys, he will spearhead the company's drug development strategy and will also be responsible for the smooth running of clinical development programmes across a wide range of ophthalmic indications. The work will be contingent on Eyevensys' unique non-viral gene therapy EyeCET platform.

Dr Buggage commented: "I am particularly thrilled to join Eyevensys at such a pivotal time. Its proprietary EyeCET platform offers an innovative approach to sustained intraocular drug delivery which combined with the non-viral delivery of the plasmids provides a convenient alternative to current biologics used to treat ophthalmic diseases.

"I believe that with EyeCET, Eyevensys has the potential to build an exciting, high value pipeline of new ocular therapies."