Industry Insider

Please describe your role at Orasis Pharmaceuticals.

I am the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Commercial Operations. I lead an amazing team of talented individuals across marketing, training, professional relations, marketing operations, and commercial operations. Together, my team has more than 100 years of experience in the eye care space. They inspire me daily with their insights, commitment to excellence, and passion for making a difference.

What are the most common questions you get about pilocarpine HCl ophthalmic solution 0.4% (Qlosi)?

One question we receive often is, “How is Qlosi different from the first product that launched in this category?” This is a great inquiry, and one we love to answer.

Qlosi was truly designed with the presbyopic patient in mind. Our proprietary EyeQ formulation maximizes efficacy while minimizing side effects by balancing the lowest effective concentration of pilocarpine at a near-neutral pH for optimal bioavailability. It is also preservative-free, comes in single-use vials, and includes the lubricants hyaluronic acid and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose for comfort. With flexible dosing—one or two drops a day—patients enjoy up to 8 hours of clear near vision, providing “Qlosi Clear Moments” for an occasion or all day.

What is Orasis doing to support optometrists?

Great question. We know that optometry is going to lead and grow this category as the primary eye care specialty. Our sales team will be out in the field starting Monday, March 31st, to begin calling on all eye care professionals, with a strong focus on optometry. We recently presented at the American Optometric Association’s Leader’s Summit in St. Louis and hosted a launch event at this year’s Southern Council of Optometrists meeting in February. We look forward to supporting upcoming state society meetings and to additional opportunities to educate and support the optometric community (eg, Vision Expo West, MOD Live, OD-focused podcasts, etc.).

Are there any company updates you can share?

Yes! Beginning Monday, April 7th, Qlosi will be available for eye care professionals to prescribe to motivated presbyopes who want a break from readers. Two pharmacy partners, BlinkRx and Medvantx, will ship product directly to patients. Every patient will receive a Clear Start Kit with their first prescription that will guide them through how to get started with Qlosi. We recommend patients to take Qlosi twice a day for the first week to learn their “new near” (neuroadapt). After that, they can decide when/how they would like to use Qlosi—for special occasions or for all-day use.

What was your very first job?

I was very active in sports growing up, so I didn’t get a real job until the summer before I started college. I was attending Texas A&M University to major in biomedical science and wanted to earn some extra spending money. One of my high school friends worked at a local oil refinery, and the owner needed some help in the main office. The job was mine once he learned I was going to Texas A&M, his alma mater. So, I spent the summer organizing files in the main office. I also drove around to oil derricks and placed company stickers on their equipment spread over acres and acres of property—only in Texas! Needless to say, it was a fun summer!