Management

Dr. Yerxa currently serves as Opus Genetics’ President since October, 2024. Dr. Yerxa was Chief Executive Officer and President of Opus from September, 2021. Dr. Yerxa previously served as Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation Fighting Blindness (“FFB”) starting in October 2017, a foundation that drives research to provide treatments and cures for people affected by retinal degenerative diseases, where he established the Retinal Degeneration Fund, a venture philanthropy investment fund. Prior to joining FFB, Dr. Yerxa served as President and Co-Founder of Envisia Therapeutics, Inc., a company focused on developing novel ocular sustained delivery therapies for the front and back of the eye. He also has previously held founding and executive positions in several ophthalmology-based research organizations, including Liquidia Technologies, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of products in pulmonary hypertension, Clearside Biomedical, Inc. (“Clearside”), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the delivery of therapies to the back of the eye through the suprachoroidal space, Parion Sciences, Inc., a company that develops therapies to treat defects of the innate mucosal defense system in respiratory diseases, and Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing ophthalmic products. Dr. Yerxa has also served on the boards of directors of Clearside since March 2022 and Nacuity Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage leader in innovative treatments for oxidative stress since October 2019. Dr. Yerxa holds 60 U.S. patents. Dr. Yerxa earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of California, Irvine, and his B.A. in chemistry from the University of California, San Diego.