ViaLase Inc., a glaucoma-focused medtech startup, is changing up its leadership ahead of planned commercial launch in the U.S. and Europe.
The company’s founder and chief executive, Dr. Tibor Juhasz, is stepping down to president and chief technology officer. He’s being succeeded by Shawn O’Neil, who was chief commercial officer.
“I’m thrilled for this next chapter in ViaLase’s journey,” Juhasz said in a statement.
“Our team has developed a technology with the potential to fuel the practice of incision-free interventional glaucoma. With regulatory milestones on the horizon, this transition positions us to bring this important innovation to physicians and patients around the world.”
News of the executive change comes on the heels of its technology receiving CE Mark approval for use in the European Union last July.
ViaLase says it’s focused on disrupting conventional treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma with its non-invasive, image-guided laser treatment.
The ViaLase Laser System emits short pulses of light to create microscopic channels in the eye, helping drain excess fluid and reduce pressure within the eye.
It has not yet received Food and Drug Administration approval for use in the U.S.
Gearing Up for Commercialization
ViaLase’s leadership transition reflects its growing focus on go-to-market execution and global commercialization, according to the company.
O’Neil brings three decades of experience in the ophthalmic industry, including 22 years in various sales and marketing roles at Alcon Inc., the sixth largest medical device maker in Orange County with 1,500 local employees.
Prior to ViaLase, he was chief commercial officer at eyecare company Sight Sciences in Menlo Park.
Replacing O’Neil as COO is Pete England, previously vice president of global marketing. England also spent time at Alcon as the commercial head of its U.S. surgical glaucoma business.
The company is preparing for commercial launch in Europe this summer, Juhasz said in an interview with the University of California, Irvine Samueli School of Engineering.
ViaLase announced distributor partnerships with Global Surgical Service for distribution in Spain and Portugal, as well as Teleon Surgical for Germany and Austria.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., ViaLase is starting a randomized, two-arm study that’s required for FDA approval.
Well-Known Executives
The company’s executive team is made up of notable figures in the local ophthalmology industry, including Juhasz who’s credited for scientific breakthroughs that led to the development of LASIK.
Juhasz co-founded Irvine medtech company IntraLase with RxSight Inc. CEO Ron Kurtz. The two, along with three other researchers, discovered the femtosecond laser’s ability to create ocular tissue incisions with micron-level precision without damaging adjacent tissue.
Juhasz is currently a professor of biomedical engineering and ophthalmology at UCI.
The company’s executive chairman is Tom Frinzi. In February, Frinzi stepped down as CEO of Lake Forest-based Staar Surgical Co. and was replaced by Stephen Farrell.
“Tibor has done an extraordinary job building a world-class R&D and clinical organization, laying the foundation for what promises to be a major advancement in glaucoma care,” Frinzi said in a statement.
ViaLase is also backed by well-known investor Bill Link, who manages the Newport Beach-based outpost of venture firm Flying L Partners and serves as managing director of San Francisco-based Versant Ventures.
Link was an early investor in Tarsus Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Inari Medical Inc., and previously served on the boards of Edwards Lifesciences Corp. and Glaukos Corp.
ViaLase last April raised another $40 million in a Series C round that included returning investors Venture Investors Health Fund, Arboretum Ventures and Falcon Vision.
The company has raised more than $75 million to date, including a $27.3 million Series A round in 2021.
