Ocugen Appoints Jessica Crespo, CPA, as Controller

MALVERN, Pa., Oct. 23, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- , (NASDAQ: OCGN), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing a pipeline of innovative therapies that address rare and underserved eye diseases, today announced the appointment of Jessica Crespo, CPA, to the role of Controller, effective October 23, 2019.

Sanjay Subramanian, Chief Financial Officer, remarked, “We are thrilled to have Jess join our team at Ocugen.  We believe her extensive experience leading the accounting function at several public life science companies will be a tremendous addition to our organization.”

Ms. Crespo commented, “I am excited to join Ocugen and expand upon the financial infrastructure that has been built. Ocugen’s diverse pipeline of ophthalmology programs are exciting and I look forward to working with the team to advance the Phase 3 ocular GVHD program and prepare the modifier gene therapy platform to enter the clinic.”

Ms. Crespo brings more than 20 years’ experience in corporate and technical accounting, financial reporting, and internal controls within a ‘Big 4’ public accounting firm and at rapidly growing public life science companies.  She most recently served as Director, Accounting/Finance at Aerie Pharmaceuticals and supported the organization through two product launches.  Prior to her service at Aerie, she held positions at Aralez Pharmaceuticals and Cubist Pharmaceuticals.  She began her career at Ernst & Young LLP.  Ms. Crespo holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Boston College and is a Certified Public Accountant.  

About Ocugen, Inc.

Ocugen, Inc. is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing a pipeline of innovative therapies that address rare and underserved eye diseases. The Company offers a robust and diversified ophthalmology portfolio that includes novel gene therapies, biologics, and small molecules and targets a broad range of high-need retinal and ocular surface diseases. Ocugen is leveraging its groundbreaking modifier gene therapy platform to address genetically diverse inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) and dry AMD, based on nuclear hormone receptor genes NR2E3 (OCU400) and RORA (OCU410), respectively. OCU400 has received two orphan drug designations (ODD) targeting two distinct IRDs.  Ocugen is also developing novel biologic therapies for wet-AMD, DME and diabetic retinopathy (OCU200), as well as for retinitis pigmentosa (OCU100). The Company’s late-stage Phase 3 trial for patients with ocular graft versus host disease (oGVHD)(OCU300) leverages Ocugen’s patented OcuNanoE – Ocugen’s ONE Platform™ technology to enhance the efficacy of topical ophthalmic therapeutics. OCU300 is the first and only therapeutic with ODD for oGVHD, providing certain regulatory and economic benefits. For more information, please visit .

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We may, in some cases, use terms such as “predicts,” “believes,” “potential,” “proposed,” “continue,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “may,” “could,” “might,” “will,” “should” or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to numerous important factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from the Company’s current expectations. These and other risks and uncertainties are more fully described in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including the risk factors described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Histogenics Corporation’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Reg. No. 333-232147), as amended, filed with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements that the Company makes in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release.