IACTA Pharmaceuticals Announces Expansion of Scientific Advisory Board with Two World-Renowned Key Opinion Leaders

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico–(BUSINESS WIRE)–IACTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“IACTA”), an innovation leader in ophthalmic therapeutics, today announced the expansion of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) with the appointments of Dr. Richard L. Abbott and Dr. Lixin Xie. Dr. Abbott and Professor Xie join an established group of global advisors who will provide strategic insight and guidance to complement the company’s expertise in ophthalmology.

“As we progress our pipeline of ophthalmic therapeutics, we are excited to strengthen our SAB with two key members to support our evolution into a clinical-stage and global development accelerator company,” said Damon Burrows, Chief Executive Officer of IACTA. “Both Dr. Abbott and Professor Xie bring unique perspectives and will provide valuable insights to support the advancement of our novel treatments for patients suffering from dry eye disease and ocular pain, as well as other potential programs across the ophthalmic space.”

“IACTA’s approach to developing effective eye care treatments represents a promising path to treating patients with ocular pain who want to avoid opioids and their side effects,” said Dr. Richard L. Abbott. “I look forward to collaborating with the team on the edge of innovative discoveries in the ocular market for patients with unmet needs.”

“I am pleased to join the Scientific Advisory Board at IACTA, a company committed to pioneering research in ocular diseases,” said Professor Xie. “I look forward to supporting the advancement of IACTA’s clinical pipeline during this transformative period for the company.”

Dr. Richard L. Abbott serves as the Secretary for Global Alliances for the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). He also serves as the Secretary-General of Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis, an international body committed to global vision research, education, and service. Previously, Dr. Abbott was President of the AAO, as well as the President of both the Pan American Association of Ophthalmology and the Pan American Ophthalmological Foundation. He has received numerous honors and awards, including the U.S. President’s 25-year Volunteer Service Award, the Sir Stuart Duke Elder International Gold Medal, the International Golden Service Award from the Chinese Academy of Ophthalmology, the AE Maumenee Pan American Medal for Distinguished Service to Latin America from the Pan American Association of Ophthalmology, the Asia Pacific Cornea Foundation Medal from the Asia Pacific Cornea Society, the Mark Tso Golden Apple International Teaching Award from the International Council of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, he has authored or co-authored 90 scientific publications and 32 book chapters and has delivered over 800 invited lectures and 36 named lectures.

Dr. Lixin Xie is an academic at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, where he serves as professor, researcher, and doctoral supervisor. He is also the honorary Chairman of Asia Corneal Society and Chinese Ophthalmological Society, the Professor of the Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Eye Institute, and the Director of Qingdao Eye Hospital. Dr. Xie performs clinical diagnoses of corneal and cataract disease while pioneering research on corneal endothelial cells, infective corneal disease and slow-release drug injection into the eyes. He is the first individual who has won 15 scientific progress prizes at the national and provincial levels and four national invention patents. Dr. Xie has publicized works on Corneal Transplantation Science and Corneal Disease in addition to publishing 356 academic papers in both domestic and abroad journals of ophthalmology.

About IACTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

IACTA is an innovation leader in ophthalmic therapeutics, led by former top executives from one of the leading eye care companies in the world. The company currently has four products in development for major market opportunities. IC 800 is a novel, non-opioid, dual enkephalinase inhibitor (DENKI), being studied for the treatment of acute ocular pain. In addition, IACTA’s IC 265, is a SYK kinase inhibitor being developed as a potential novel treatment for dry eye disease. Solidified by management’s world-class, proven R&D experience and supported by the company’s IPAC subsidiary in Asia, IACTA is equipped to identify high-quality pharmaceutical technologies, create novel formulations, develop clinic-ready assets, and manage regulatory and intellectual property challenges to accelerate the development and commercialization of innovative NCEs. For more information, please visit www.iactapharma.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements made under the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include the potential for IC 800 and IC 265. Any forward-looking statements in this press release represent the Company’s views only as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update this information as a result of future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

IACTA is a registered trademark of Iacta Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and DENKI is a trademark licensed to Iacta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All other trademarks are owned by their respective owners.

Contacts

Investor Contact:

Stephen Jasper

Gilmartin Group

(858) 525-2047

stephen@gilmartinir.com