Kiora Pharmaceuticals (KPRX) Appoints Mark Pennesi to its Board

Kiora Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: KPRX) has appointed Mark Pennesi, M.D., Ph.D., the Kenneth C. Swan Endowed Professor in Ophthalmology and Molecular and Medical Genetics and the Chief of the Paul H. Casey Ophthalmic Genetics Division at the Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health & Science University, to their Scientific Advisory Board. As a member of the Scientific Advisory Board, his expertise and insights will contribute to the company's development of new treatments and therapies for patients suffering from eye diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa, a rare inherited degenerative eye disease in which Kiora is enrolling a clinical trial for KIO-301.

Dr. Pennesi is a world-renowned expert in the field of retinal ophthalmology, bringing more than 20 years of experience in research most recently focused on inherited retinal disease. He has published over 150 scientific articles in the field of ophthalmology and has been recognized by medical and patient communities for advancing the treatment of rare eye diseases.

"We look forward to Dr. Pennesi's contributions as a member of our Scientific Advisory Board," said Brian M. Strem, Ph.D., President and CEO of Kiora. "His deep knowledge and experience complement and enhance the expertise already in place with our current advisory board members, and we are confident in his immediate impact in helping advance our clinical programs addressing rare forms of eye disease."

Dr. Pennesi added, "I look forward to working with Kiora in providing strategic input on the development of new therapies for rare and underserved ophthalmic conditions. Their investigational drug for retinitis pigmentosa, in particular, represents a promising and elegant approach to treating an inherited disease with a single therapy across hundreds of known gene mutations."

The appointment of Dr. Pennesi to the Scientific Advisory Board reflects Kiora's ongoing commitment to working alongside the best and brightest minds in the field of ophthalmology. By bringing together leading experts in the field and sharing knowledge, Kiora can accelerate the development of innovative treatments and therapies to improve patient outcomes.

Dr. Pennesi attended the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering, and was awarded the Herman P. Schwann award in bioengineering for exemplary scholarship. Dr. Pennesi pursued a combined M.D./Ph.D. at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He received numerous awards while in graduate school, including the John J. Trentin Award for earning the highest GPA in his class, and the BRASS scholarship for playing an active role in community service. This was followed by a residency in Ophthalmology at the University of California, San Francisco, where he was awarded the Hogan-Garcia Award for having the best resident research project. In 2011, Dr. Pennesi received the ARVO/Alcon Early Career Clinician-Scientist Research Award. He is also the recipient of a Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) career development award, a Research to Prevent Blindness career development award, and an FFB enhanced career development award. He was awarded the Alcon Young Investigator Award in 2014 and a Residency Teaching Award in 2015. He has also been elected into both the Macula Society and Retina Society.

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