Chief Regulatory Officer for a Commercial-Stage Ophthalmic Pharmaceutical Company

Client background

This small, Massachusetts-based pharmaceutical company is developing and commercializing innovative ophthalmic products for the treatment of serious eye disorders. They have two approved products on the market and a potential blockbuster program in clinical trials for multiple indications.

Challenge

The company’s existing SVP/Head of Regulatory announced his retirement in 2021. They needed help to find a replacement who could provide Regulatory leadership and strategic direction for the company’s product portfolio and manage a small Regulatory team.  This individual would be responsible for creating the Regulatory strategy and prioritizing the pipeline, overseeing compounds through development for regulatory approval, as well as life cycle management opportunities for their marketed products. The CEO really wanted somebody with strong ophthalmic drugs expertise who worked closely with the FDA’s Division of Ophthalmology. They also wanted a seasoned leader who could also serve as a member of their Executive Committee.

Approach

Dennis Partners proposed Retained Search to fill this important regulatory leadership role.  We kicked off the search with the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief People Officer to better understand the client’s criteria and cultural fit.  The CEO expressed her desire to broaden the diversity of the Executive Committee by hiring a woman or a person of color. We recruited, screened, and presented multiple candidates to our client – including numerous diversity candidates.   We screened for candidates who had strong ophthalmic drug backgrounds and worked closely with that division of the FDA. We were also able to find them an exceptional Regulatory Affairs Consultant to help with their clinical regulatory strategy work until the permanent position could be filled.

Result

After interviewing all of the candidates that we presented, the client selected their top choice.  They came forward with a very strong offer which included a Chief Regulatory Officer title along with an exceptional compensation package. The candidate quickly accepted the offer and will be starting there in two weeks.  The CEO was delighted and with the outcome and was glad to have another woman join their Executive Committee.