YARDLEY, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OptiNose, Inc., a privately held specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced the appointment of Tom Gibbs as Chief Commercial Officer. In this new role, Gibbs will be responsible for developing and executing the commercialization strategy of EDS-FLU (OPN-375), an investigational treatment in development for chronic nasal inflammatory diseases which has completed Phase 3 in subjects with nasal polyposis.

“As we transition from a development based company, to a commercial stage company, OptiNose is at a critical stage,” said Peter Miller, Chief Executive Officer of OptiNose. "Tom is a highly respected commercial leader with a reputation for innovative thinking, building strong teams and delivering superior results. The breadth and depth of Tom’s commercial experience with various companies and across many therapeutic areas, along with his diverse background and proven track record make him superbly qualified to grow and to lead OptiNose’s commercial organization.”

Gibbs brings more than 20 years of diverse commercial leadership experience to OptiNose, including roles in General Management, Marketing, Sales, Commercial Operations, Customer Insights and Analytics and Finance. He joins OptiNose from Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where he led the General Medicines Business Unit for the United States. In this role, Gibbs had responsibility for a multi-billion dollar portfolio comprised of eleven brands spanning several therapeutic classes including CNS, GI, Inflammation, Diabetes and Metabolics, and led a team of over 2,000 people.

Prior to Takeda, Gibbs was at Vanda Pharmaceuticals where he was the Chief Commercial Officer for the U.S. and EU commercial organizations, including the rare disease franchise and CNS portfolio. Prior to joining Vanda, Gibbs spent more than five years at Bristol Myers Squibb where he held a variety of commercial roles of increasing responsibility. Most recently, he served as the Vice President of Worldwide Commercial Operations where he helped drive the transformation of the company’s commercial model and commercial organization across all therapeutic categories and geographies.

“I believe deeply in the potential of EDS-FLU to transform the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis and improve the lives of the millions of patients suffering from the disease,” said Gibbs. “The results of the Phase 3 trials were exceptional, but what cemented my decision to join the great team at OptiNose was the inspiring personal testimonials I heard from patients regarding how EDS-FLU made a significant difference in their lives. I am thrilled to join the company at such an incredibly exciting time, and look forward to leveraging my diverse skills and experiences to bring this important product to patients.”

Tom holds a BS in Economics with a dual concentration in finance and marketing from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business.

About OptiNose

OptiNose is a Specialty Biotechnology/Pharmaceutical Company developing a promising pipeline of new products. The Company’s patented closed-palate Breath Powered® technology is a platform for developing novel treatments that are aimed at creating meaningful benefits with high and deep intranasal deposition of medication. OptiNose developed and out-licensed a first product at the end of phase 3 (Onzetra™ Xsail™, licensed to Avanir in North America, since acquired by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co). OptiNose is also in late stage development of an Exhalation Delivery System for fluticasone (OPN-375) for patients with chronic nasal inflammatory diseases, and has completed Phase 3 investigational studies in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps. Other OptiNose pipeline products also target large markets with significant unmet need, including nose-to-brain technology applications such as OPN-300 for Autism. OptiNose has corporate offices in the US, Norway and the UK.