Ikarovec appoints Thomas Ciulla MD MBA, expert in ophthalmology drug development, as President and CEO

Spark Therapeutics veteran brings over 25 years’ of leadership experience to drive translation of company’s bicistronic gene therapies into products

• Ikarovec, which is developing field-changing bicistronic gene therapies for ophthalmic diseases, appoints Dr Thomas Ciulla, expert in ophthalmology drug development, as President and CEO.
• Dr Ciulla directed medical strategy for Luxturna, the first FDA-approved gene therapy for inherited retinal disease, at Spark Therapeutics, with other development achievements at Viridian Therapeutics, Iveric Bio and Clearside Biomedical.
• Dr Ciulla will drive Ikarovec’s pipeline forward as it transitions into a clinical phase company, with its first trial expected to be of lead product IKC159V in geographic atrophy (GA), a common and severe form of age-related macular degeneration.

Norwich, UK, May 6 2025 – Ikarovec, a leader in ophthalmology innovation with a sophisticated field-changing technology for the long-term relief of prevalent eye diseases, is pleased to announce that Thomas Ciulla MD MBA, a leader in ophthalmology drug development, has been appointed President and CEO. He joins the company from Viridian Therapeutics, where he was Chief Medical Officer and accelerated veligrotug (for thyroid eye disease) from Phase II to two successful Phase III pivotal trials.

Dr Ciulla’s other significant activities include direction of medical strategy for Luxturna, the first FDA-approved gene therapy for inherited retinal disease, at Spark Therapeutics prior to its acquisition by Roche. Also notable is his involvement in the first successful Phase III trial in age-related macular degeneration/GA, leading to US approval of Izervay at Iveric Bio (now part of Astellas). As Chief Medical Officer at Clearside Biomedical, he contributed to development of the first FDA-approved suprachoroidal therapy (Xipere) and to key industry partnerships, including a
collaboration for suprachoroidal delivery of gene therapy, demonstrating a track record in facilitating strategic alliances and financing.

Dr Ciulla is a Harvard-trained board-certified ophthalmologist and retina specialist. As a clinical researcher with over 300 publications, Dr Ciulla brings substantial academic credibility and research expertise in retinal diseases to Ikarovec’s innovative platform.
Ikarovec’s lead product, IKC159V, a bicistronic gene therapy for GA, is expected to be the company’s first candidate to reach the clinic. GA is a leading cause of significant vision loss and affects 5 million people worldwide. The company’s flexible proprietary bicistronic gene therapy platform generates multiple synergistic therapeutic proteins where they are needed in the eye, bringing a differentiated approach to treating a range of large and growing ophthalmic disorders.
Dr Thomas Ciulla, President and CEO of Ikarovec, said, ‘I’m pleased to be joining Ikarovec at such an exciting phase of its development, as it transitions to a clinical phase company. With more than 5 million people worldwide affected by geographic atrophy alone, I’m committed to advancing our bicistronic gene therapy platform which targets multiple disease pathways through a single administration, potentially improving outcomes while significantly reducing the treatment burden compared to current therapies. I’m looking forward to helping translate this innovative technology into products which provide meaningful clinical benefits for those facing vision loss.’

Dr David Guyer, Chairman of Ikarovec, added, ‘With a track record spanning innovation in ophthalmology and gene therapy, and a proven background of FDA approvals and value creation in companies, Tom is a great asset to the team and I’m delighted to welcome him to Ikarovec. He will be pivotal to driving our pipeline forward, leading partnering and fundraising, and establishing our US presence.’

–ENDS—

Photo available on request

For further information, please contact
Emma Palmer Foster, Communications + 44 (0)7880 787185
comms@ikarovec.com

Notes for Editors

About Ikarovec
Ikarovec is a leader in ophthalmology innovation, with a sophisticated field-changing technology for the long-term relief of prevalent eye diseases. The company’s flexible proprietary bicistronic gene therapy generates multiple synergistic therapeutic proteins where they are needed in the eye, bringing a differentiated approach to treating a range of large and growing ophthalmic disorders.

Its lead product, IKC159V, a bicistronic gene therapy for geographic atrophy (GA), is expected to be the company’s first candidate to reach the clinic. GA leads to significant vision loss, affecting 5 million people worldwide. Current treatment options (only approved in the US) require regular injections directly into the eye. Ikarovec’s novel bicistronic gene therapy leads to the expression of two therapeutically relevant proteins, targeting multiple causes of the disease with a single injection which is expected to be disease modifying. Follow-on programmes are targeting wet age-related macular degeneration and other chronic poorly managed ophthalmic indications.

Ikarovec is directed by an international Board and management team with industry-leading ophthalmology and gene therapy expertise. This experience comes via Astellas, EyeBio, OXB (Oxford Biomedica), Spark Therapeutics and others. Ikarovec, which is based at Norwich Research Park, is backed by LifeArc Ventures, Parkwalk Advisors and UKI2S. More information at www.ikarovec.com and on LinkedIn.