BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Nov. 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RVL Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a subsidiary of Osmotica Pharmaceuticals plc (Nasdaq: OSMT), announced the addition of Dr. Raymond Douglas, M.D. to its leadership team as Global Head, Scientific Affairs.

"We are thrilled to have Dr. Douglas join our organization and are committed to building upon the recent launch success of Upneeq. Dr. Douglas will immediately become an integral member of the organization,” said Brian Markison, Chief Executive Officer of Osmotica. “His clinical training in ophthalmology, and surgical and cosmetic expertise in practice, will undoubtedly further support our strategic initiatives as we expand the launch of Upneeq.”

Dr. Douglas is a board-certified Aesthetic Reconstructive and Oculoplastic specialist. His expertise has made him a highly respected educational and surgical authority for both reconstructive and cosmetics arts of facial plastics. In addition to his private practice in Beverly Hills, CA, Dr. Douglas is a clinical research author, advocate and educator, internationally recognized for his groundbreaking research on treatments and restorative surgical techniques for Thyroid Eye Disease. Dr. Douglas graduated with academic distinction from the University of Pennsylvania where he began his medical training and earned a PhD in immunology and autoimmune inflammatory disorders. He went on to complete a sub-specialized fellowship in Orbital Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute. To date, he has held several prestigious positions at the UCLA School of Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Greater Los Angeles Veterans Hospital, Veterans Administration Ann Arbor Healthcare System, and the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center.

"In a short time since launch, I have seen firsthand the positive impact of Upneeq on both patients and providers,” stated Dr. Douglas. “I am excited to join the organization and look forward to building on the early success and the opportunity to advance this novel product beyond the existing treatment paradigms.”

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
UPNEEQ™ (oxymetazoline hydrochloride ophthalmic solution), 0.1% is indicated for the treatment of acquired blepharoptosis in adults.

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

• Alpha-adrenergic agonists as a class may impact blood pressure. Advise UPNEEQ patients with cardiovascular disease, orthostatic hypotension, and/or uncontrolled hypertension or hypotension to seek medical care if their condition worsens.
• Use UPNEEQ with caution in patients with cerebral or coronary insufficiency or Sjögren’s syndrome. Advise patients to seek medical care if signs and symptoms of potentiation of vascular insufficiency develop.
• UPNEEQ may increase the risk of angle closure glaucoma in patients with untreated narrow-angle glaucoma. Advise patients to seek immediate medical care if signs and symptoms of acute narrow-angle glaucoma develop.
• Patients should not touch the tip of the single patient-use container to their eye or to any surface, in order to avoid eye injury or contamination of the solution.

ADVERSE REACTIONS
Adverse reactions that occurred in 1-5% of subjects treated with UPNEEQ were punctate keratitis, conjunctival hyperemia, dry eye, blurred vision, instillation site pain, eye irritation and headache.

DRUG INTERACTIONS

• Alpha-adrenergic agonists, as a class, may impact blood pressure. Caution in using drugs such as betablockers, anti-hypertensives, and/or cardiac glycosides is advised. Caution should also be exercised in patients receiving alpha adrenergic receptor antagonists such as in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, or benign prostatic hypertrophy.
• Caution is advised in patients taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors which can affect the metabolism and uptake of circulating amines.

About Acquired Blepharoptosis

Acquired blepharoptosis, also known as ptosis, or droopy eyelid, is a unilateral or bilateral drooping of the upper eyelid that usually occurs from a partial or complete dysfunction of the muscles that elevate the upper eyelid. It can generally be classified as congenital or acquired, with the most common type being age-related aponeurotic ptosis. The current standard of care is surgery, which is often reserved only for severe cases.

About Upneeq

Upneeq (oxymetazoline hydrochloride ophthalmic solution), 0.1% is a novel, once-daily ophthalmic formulation of oxymetazoline, a direct-acting alpha adrenergic receptor agonist, which when administered to the eye, is believed to selectively target Müller muscle and elevate the upper eyelid. Upneeq is the first and only FDA-approved pharmacologic treatment indicated for the treatment of acquired blepharoptosis (ptosis, or droopy eyelid) in adults.