Eyenovia Chairman Dr. Sean Ianchulev: The Making Of An iDoctor - Immigrant, Innovator, Inventor

Dr. Sean Ianchulev
Dr. Sean Ianchulev

Before founding Eyenovia, Dr. Sean Ianchulev had established himself as a pioneer and innovator in the field of ophthalmology. Inspired by his mother, a former retina surgeon, clinician, and university professor, Dr. Ianchulev would successfully carve a path of his own, pioneering several breakthroughs in the field of ophthalmology while serving as Eyenovia's Chief Executive Officer, its Chief Medical Officer and a member of its Board of Directors.

In early June, Dr. Ianchulev announced he would transition to Chairman of the company's Board of Directors to focus on strategy and on the next horizon of innovations in the ophthalmic field.

At 18, Ianchulev emigrated to the United States from post-communist Bulgaria with only $200 in his pocket. Medicine was viewed as a public service rather than a prestigious career choice in his home country. Spending time around his mother and her patients would serve as the inspiration that would motivate Ianchulev to pursue a career in medicine.

As an innovator and technology developer, he has been at the forefront of medical innovation - inventing and developing medical technologies which have transformed the ophthalmic medical field and are improving vision for hundreds of thousands of patients every year. Dr. Ianchulev is a holder of many issued and pending patents and has high-impact publications in the ophthalmic field, which have been cited by more than 3,000 peer-reviewed publications.

Recognized for his leadership in public health, and innovation in medicine, Dr. Ianchulev has been invited by the United States Congress to speak as an expert during discussions on medical innovation and FDA regulation. He also sits on a number of corporate and advisory boards.

While at Genentech, Dr. Ianchulev headed the ophthalmology clinical group and directed the development and the FDA approval of Lucentis®, one of the most successful biotech innovations in the field of ophthalmology. Dr. Ianchulev is also the inventor of the first ophthalmic intraoperative biometry device (ORA, Alcon) for high precision, infrared laser-guided cataract surgery, which dramatically improved the outcomes of cataract surgery and has been used to treat several million patients to date. Dr. Ianchulev was the patent holder and technology founder of Wavetec Inc., which was acquired by Alcon.

In the glaucoma field, Dr. Ianchulev invented the first virtual perimetry device for the screening and early detection of glaucoma - now transforming remote patient care with the KYS (KeepYourSight) vision care system. He was also at the forefront of developing Micro-Incisional Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS) technology and led the development of the first supraciliary micro-stent while at Transcend Medical - a company acquired by Novartis. 

As the founder of Eyenovia, Dr. Ianchulev has spearheaded next generation ophthalmic drug delivery with the first technology to transform the 100-year-old eye care paradigm. By "shrinking" the ink-jet printer technology to a palm-size smart delivery device and using high-precision horizontal micro-dosing for topical eye therapies, Optejet™ by Eyenovia can now deliver pixel size droplets and gently "print" medications on the cornea surface without spillage, waste, overdosing and discomfort.

In addition, Eyenovia's technology may be able to be used to deliver eye therapy to astronauts in space, in a zero gravity environment. Using piezo-print technology, Eyenovia is embarking on new treatments for high impact global diseases affecting hundreds of millions of people including presbyopia and childhood myopia.

In the field of advanced micro-interventional technology for cataract surgery and next generation devices, Dr. Ianchulev is the inventor and co-founder of Iantech, Inc., which includes the development of miLOOP® - acquired by Carl Zeiss Meditec. He is also one of the first pioneers of robotic micro-interventional ophthalmic surgery and was the developer of the first system for robotic glaucoma surgery with the PRECEYES eye surgical robot.

About Eyenovia, Inc.

Eyenovia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EYEN) is an ophthalmic pharmaceutical technology company developing a pipeline of microdose array print (MAP) therapeutics. Eyenovia is currently focused on the late-stage development of microdosed medications for mydriasis, presbyopia, and myopia progression. For more information, visit www.eyenovia.com.

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