Vicken Karageozian

Dr. Karageozian is an industry veteran in ophthalmic drug development with more than 25 years of experience building, leading, and fundraising companies in the ophthalmic pharmaceutical space. An ophthalmic surgeon by training, Dr. Karageozian is the co-founder of three ophthalmic biotech companies since 1993, including ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Vitreoretinal Technologies, Inc., and Allegro Ophthalmics, LLC. He has been the inventor or co-inventor of numerous ophthalmic pharmaceuticals with more than 82 patents issued on his drug discoveries. His co-inventions include some of the first enzymatic, osmotic, and integrin-based treatments for the eye and some of the earliest work in intravitreal injections (Vitrase®). Dr. Karageozian has been instrumental in securing over $240M in aggregate venture and institutional capital and corporate partnerships for these companies.

Dr. Karageozian has led the business execution, clinical development, and regulatory strategy on numerous ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, including several negotiated novel endpoints for first in class drugs, and has led numerous Phase 1, 2, and 3 ophthalmic clinical programs across the US, EU, Asia, and Latin America.

As a senior executive at Allegro, Dr. Karageozian has extensive experience in formulating and leading the corporate strategy, execution, fundraising, and business development efforts. Throughout his ventures, Dr. Karageozian has led numerous successful licensing transactions, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions and IPOs across the US, Asia, and Latin America. This includes the successful IPO of ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Dr. Karageozian graduated from the University of California, San Diego with degrees in biochemistry and cellular biology and received his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. After completing an internship at UCLA, he completed his ophthalmology residency at the University of California, Irvine.