Paul Karpecki, OD, FAAO.
​
MULLICA HILL, N.J.—OcuMedic Inc., a developer of new, drug-eluting soft contact lens and clear corneal bandage technology, has appointed Paul Karpecki, OD, FAAO, as the company’s lead optometric advisor and a member of its scientific advisory board. His role with the company is in the development of its activities, communications, meetings and strategies relating to research and product development, according to an announcement last week. “Dr. Karpecki is a thought-leader and pioneer in the field of corneal health research with a focus on dry eye, a condition that affects millions of people worldwide,” Keith D. Ignotz, president and chief executive officer of OcuMedic, said in the announcement.

“Dr. Karpecki’s insights and contributions to the commercialization of our technology will lead to better products that gain rapid uptake in the $16 billion global eyecare therapeutic market toward replacing conventional eye drops.”

Dr. Karpecki is director of cornea services at the Kentucky Eye Institute, and recently completed a preceptorship in retina at Retina Associates of Kentucky, both in Lexington, Ky. He also serves as a director for the advanced ocular surface disease clinic at Gaddie Eye Centers in Louisville, Ky., and is associate professor at the University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Optometry, according to the announcement.

OcuMedic chief technical officer Mark E. Byrne said Dr. Karpecki’s knowledge of the field is “unmatched and his acceptance of a leadership position with OcuMedic is a further validation of the potential of our technology to improve eyecare for millions of people across the globe.” Byrne is the inventor of the OcuMedic technology and was a distinguished professor at Auburn University, according to the announcement.