Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
The Power List 2018
Vicente Anido, Jr., PhD
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
How does Aerie support leaders – both internal and external?
Aerie was founded to pursue the dream of Dr. David Epstein who insisted that we should be doing more to protect the sight of patients with glaucoma. All of Dr. Epstein’s extraordinary talents – as a visionary, teacher, entrepreneur and clinician – were dedicated to making this dream a reality. With his inspiration, we have focused on building the best R&D, clinical, regulatory, commercial and manufacturing teams in ophthalmology, recruited from across the global pharmaceutical industry. Our external collaborations involve established and emerging leaders in research, patient care and medical technology. To be a leader, we will cultivate leadership all around us.
What does it take for a company like Aerie to rise to a position of influence within eyecare?
Our single-minded goal of becoming a leading global ophthalmic pharmaceutical company will be achieved by providing a continuous source of innovative products that give clinicians new tools to protect their patients’ vision. We must also behave as a trusted partner whose commitment to ophthalmology is demonstrated in everything we do. Our first opportunity to earn a position of influence will be the US launch of the first new class of drugs for glaucoma in more than 20 years. The science behind this product, its clinical performance and the seasoned team that will introduce it will establish Aerie’s reputation for leadership.
How does Aerie plan to continue leading the field – and making a difference to ophthalmologists and patients – in the coming years?
The next several years will see tremendous growth at Aerie, all driven by our efforts to deliver truly-differentiated ophthalmic therapeutics to ophthalmologists and their patients. We plan to launch two first-in-class products for glaucoma in the US, complete clinical development and regulatory filings in the EU and Japan for our glaucoma portfolio, and advance our lead retina candidates into the clinic. From robust, science-driven discovery and development efforts to the construction of our own manufacturing facility, we have made significant investments in full integration that will enable us to remain in the vanguard of eyecare for years to come.