COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION

SpyGlass Pharma™ brings together our industry's brightest engineers, scientists and clinicians to develop life-changing treatment options for patients suffering from ophthalmic diseases. Together we work toward our singular focus: Long-term drug delivery—that lasts.

FOUNDING SPYGLASS PHARMA™

An Unmet Need and a Partnership in Ophthalmic Innovation Reveals New Opportunities

Malik Kahook, MD and Glenn Sussman have been working together on ophthalmic innovations for over 15 years, leveraging their respective skills as a clinician and a medical device engineer and team manager to continuously challenge and complement each other.

With a mutual understanding that surgical options in glaucoma had not advanced in decades, Malik and Glenn have always had a strong desire to contribute to new innovations which inevitably led both to SpyGlass Pharma™ today.

Read more about founding SpyGlass at The Ophthalmologist: Joining Forces: Start-up Success. A chance meeting that led to over a decade of collaboration and innovation

Our Team.

Behind our accomplished scientists and engineers is a seasoned leadership team with deep roots in ophthalmology, IOL development, and commercial success. SpyGlass Pharma™ is led by a proven team with science, R&D, communications, and operations expertise.

Malik Y. Kahook, MD

Co-founder, President and Executive Chair of the Board

Dr. Kahook is a practicing ophthalmologist and serial entrepreneur with 15 years of startup and academic experience in research and development. Several of his devices are currently commercialized for clinical use. ClarVista Medical, acquired by Alcon in 2017, developed an advanced modular intraocular lens system co-invented by Dr. Kahook. He is the inventor of the Kahook Dual Blade, which is marketed globally by New World Medical. Dr. Kahook also has extensive experience in intraocular lens material innovation and novel ophthalmic drug delivery methods. His inventions have been the focus of over $150 million in venture backed funding and industry led development and commercialization since 2008 and his devices have been used to treat hundreds of thousands of patients globally.

Patrick Mooney

Chief Executive Officer

Patrick Mooney is a seasoned leader in ophthalmology, having led several launches and commercialization efforts of ophthalmic pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Most recently, he was Vice President and Head of the Ophthalmology Franchise at Novartis where he was responsible for the overall strategy and growth of U.S. Ophthalmic Pharmaceuticals. Prior to Novartis, he led sales for Galderma’s Self Medication business unit and was with Alcon for 16 years, holding leadership positions of increasing responsibility in sales, marketing and operations in the United States and Asia. Patrick’s leadership experience in eye care spans the surgical, vision-care and pharmaceutical spectrum, and includes product launches in Retina, Glaucoma, Dry Eye as well as medical devices. Patrick is highly regarded across the industry for his deep insight in the eye care marketplace, his passion for developing and commercializing new products and therapies that improve the lives of patients, and for his focus on developing people, and creating a strong team culture that yields successful business outcomes.

Glenn Sussman

Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer

Glenn Sussman is a serial inventor and entrepreneur with 30+ years of experience in the ophthalmic space. Prior to co-founding SpyGlass, he was responsible for the development of a novel IOL for ClarVista Medical which was acquired by Alcon in 2017. Glenn previously served in an R&D leadership role at Alcon for 18 years. He has supported and led development for several other industry leaders and academic facilities. Glenn has over 60 issued US patents in areas that range from intraocular lenses to surgical devices for ophthalmic surgery.

James Dennewill

Chief Operating Officer

James Dennewill brings over 20 years of medical device industry experience, specializing in the development of products, people and processes required to bring new technologies to market. Prior to SpyGlass, he spent over six years with Cianna Medical (acquired by Merit Medical), where he held various positions of escalating responsibility including VP of Operations and COO. James also spent over 10 years with Med-Logics, Inc., where he managed the development of ophthalmic products, resulting in a range of U.S. and international patents, and served as Management Representative for all regulatory affairs.

Our Scientific Advisors

Partnering with some of the top names in cataract and glaucoma ophthalmic care, our advisors help ensure SpyGlass Pharma™'s optimal quality, safety, and delivery for ophthalmic patients worldwide.

Nathan Radcliffe, MD

New York Eye Surgery Center

Nathan M. Radcliffe, MD, is a glaucoma and cataract surgeon who practices in the Bronx and New York City. After graduating Alpha Omega Alpha from Temple University School of Medicine, Dr. Radcliffe completed his Internship at the University of Hawaii before his residency at New York University. His glaucoma fellowship was through the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. He was the Glaucoma Service Director at Cornell from 2008-2014 and at NYU and Bellevue Hospital from 2014 to 2016. Dr. Radcliffe is currently an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Radcliffe has published over 70 peer-reviewed publications in glaucoma research and is a principal investigator and medical monitor for many ongoing prospective trials for new glaucoma treatments. He is committed to teaching others, particularly in the area of microincisional glaucoma surgery (MIGS) and drug delivery. Dr. Radcliffe proudly serves on the glaucoma Clinical Committee of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and is the 2023 ASCRS Glaucoma Subspecialty Day Course Co-Director. He is the Chief Medical Editor of the Glaucoma Physician publication and is a board member of the Outpatient Ophthalmic Surgery Society.

Sam Garg, MD

Gavin Herbert Eye Institute/UC Irvine

Dr. Sumit (Sam) Garg is Vice Chair of Clinical Ophthalmology, Medical Director, and Professor in Cataract, Refractive, External Disease and Corneal Surgery at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Garg participates in numerous research projects, many of which he has presented at national and international meetings. He has been invited to lecture at meetings and symposia locally, nationally and internationally. In addition to his research activities, Dr. Garg has authored numerous peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. Dr. Garg served as chair of the ASCRS Young Eye Surgeons clinical committee, is currently on the ASCRS Cornea clinical committee and is Chief Medical Editor for EyeWorld. Additionally, he serves as special advisor to the National Keratoconus Foundation and co-chair of the ophthalmic advisory board for Beyond Blindness (formerly known as the Blind Children’s Learning Center of Orange County). He has been recognized in Best Doctors and Super Doctors "Rising Stars” yearly since 2013 and has received the Orange County Medical Association’s Physician of Excellence award since 2014. Additionally, he was chosen by Ocular Surgery News as a Premier 300 Refractive Cataract Surgeon. Dr. Garg is actively involved in resident and fellow teaching. In 2014, Dr. Garg published a textbook entitled, “Ophthalmic Microsurgery: Principles, Techniques, and Applications,” a manual designed for the education of ophthalmology trainees. Dr. Garg is a highly-skilled clinician, surgeon, and teacher, and has particular expertise in refractive cataract surgery, complication management, ocular surface disease, corneal (PKP, FLEK, DSEK, DMEK, corneal crosslinking), conjunctival, and refractive surgery.

Preeya Gupta, MD

Triangle Eye Consultants

Preeya K. Gupta, MD, is the Managing Director of Triangle Eye Consultants in Raleigh, NC and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Tulane University School of Medicine. Dr. Gupta previously served on the faculty at Duke University Eye Center as a Tenured Associate Professor of Ophthalmology from 2011-2021. Dr Gupta earned her medical degree at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and graduated with Alpha Omega Alpha honors. She fulfilled her residency in ophthalmology at Duke University Eye Center in Durham, North Carolina, where she earned the K. Alexander Dastgheib Surgical Excellence Award, and then completed a fellowship in Cornea and Refractive Surgery at Minnesota Eye Consultants in Minneapolis. Dr Gupta has authored many articles in the peer-reviewed literature and serves as an invited reviewer to journals such as Ophthalmology, American Journal of Ophthalmology, and Journal of Refractive Surgery. She has also written several book chapters about corneal disease and ophthalmic surgery, as well as served as an editor of the well-known series, Curbside Consultation in Cataract Surgery. She also holds several editorial board positions including the ONE Network of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, International Society of Refractive Surgery Multimedia Board, and BCSC Refractive Surgery Committee Board. Dr. Gupta serves as an elected member of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) Cornea clinical committee, and is also the President of the Vanguard Ophthalmology Society. She has given presentations both nationally and internationally, including invited lectures, national meeting presentations and education of residents and fellows. Dr Gupta has been awarded the National Millennial Eye Outstanding Female in Ophthalmology Award and has received the AAO Achievement Award. She is also an elected American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Council member.

JAI G. PAREKH, MD, MBA, FAAO

Senior Healthcare Executive

Jai Parekh is a dual-trained internist and practicing board-certified ophthalmic surgeon with extensive experience and deep expertise in clinical/academic practice, pharmaceutical/medical device technology, medical affairs/R&D, clinical/business development, commercial/marketing, hospital administration, healthcare IT companies, private equity/investing, and entrepreneurship. As a C-suite officer, he has provided ambassadorship, leadership, and a scientific voice to key opinion leaders, insurance companies, societies, investors/analysts. Jai has also been instrumental in launching many pharmaceutical products, surgical devices, and OTC products. He is extensively published and a member of multiple corporate boards; he currently serves as Chief Commercial Officer of Nordic Pharma Eye Care. Jai is also Chief Innovation Officer at EyeCheq, a Miami-based AI/Digital HealthCare Company focused on retinal screenings, and Chief Strategy Officer for StepWise, a Silicon-valley-based incubator of eye care innovation, and all of it’s development companies. Most recently, Jai was the Chief Medical Office/Vice President of Eye Care at Allergan (2015-20), a global pharmaceutical-medical device company until its sale to Abbvie. As a member of the Global Leadership Team, Chief Medical Officer Leadership Team, Eye Care Commercial Leadership Team (ECLT), and Governance Boards, Jai collaborated with commercial, marketing, industry-government relations, and clinical development colleagues to provide strategy and leadership to the organization. He also executed the strategy for product growth and launches in key areas of eye care, including medical/interventional glaucoma ($1B+), ocular surface/dry eye ($1.5B+), and medical retina ($250M+). Jai also led Dermatology Medical Affairs, while at Allergan, until the sale of its dermatology assets to Almirall (650M+). Jai has been Chief of Cornea & Medical Director of the Research Institute at St. Joseph’s Health in NJ since 2009. He is a member of the Board of Trustees/Head of Strategic Planning, the Foundation Board, and the Executive Committee at the healthcare system. He spearheaded the formal inception of research across all departments and divisions, forging to create one of the top research hospitals in the NY-NJ area. In 2020, he also helped to make St. Joseph’s one of the leading hospitals for COVID trials in the greater NY-NJ area. Jai has been a strategic advisor to many pharmaceutical, surgical, and IT companies. He has also consulted with industry, hospitals, and major eye groups in India, China, Turkey, Dubai, and South Korea to improve the delivery of disease-management protocols and he led a humanitarian ophthalmic surgery team in India to create “transfer-of-technology” modules. As the co-founder of EyeCare Consultants of NJ and the Centers for Ocular Surface Excellence of NJ & Interventional Glaucoma , one of the largest anterior segment eye care practices in NJ, Jai maintains a boutique private practice. He has also co-founded three prestigious societies in eye care: American-European College of Ophthalmic Surgery (AECOS), CEDAR/ASPENS Society (CAS), and Vanguard Ophthalmology Society (VOS). Jai holds an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, an MD from Boston University School of Medicine, and a BA from Boston University’s Combined Early Acceptance Medical School Program. He has been named to New Jersey Top Doctors list for several years and also to Ocular Surgery News’ Premier Surgeon 300, awarded to the top 300 ophthalmic surgeons in the country. Jai serves on the Editorial Board for the Technology Section of Ocular Surgery News (OSN). He has been Clinical Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, at the Icahn School of Medicine–New York Eye & Ear Infirmary of Mt. Sinai, NY, since 2001.

Robert Cionni, MD

The Eye Institute of Utah

Dr Cionni has over 3 decades of surgical ophthalmology experience specializing in cataract surgery, lens implants, and refractive surgeries such as LASIK, PRK, implantation of ICLs and refractive lens exchange. Throughout the span of his practice, he has innovated new techniques and technologies and consulted with numerous well-known and start-up companies to bring new technologies to market. Dr. Cionni served as the 2015-2016 President of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. He has also been a member of many professional organizations, including the Utah Ophthalmology Society, the Utah Medical Association, Cincinnati Academy of Medicine, the Ohio State Medical Association, the Cincinnati Society of Ophthalmology, and the International Intraocular Implant Club. Though recently retired from surgical practice, Dr Cionni continues to work with and consult with companies to develop new and innovative technologies.

Cathleen McCabe, MD

Eye Health America

Cathleen McCabe, MD serves as Chief Medical Officer at Eye Health America™. She is one of the foremost eye surgeons today, specializing in complex and premium cataract and refractive surgery at The Eye Associates in Sarasota, Florida. She has a keen interest in advancing the field of ophthalmology and has participated in numerous clinical trials, including innovations in intraocular lenses, perioperative medications, medications and devices to treat glaucoma, dry eye treatments and presbyopia correction. Dr. McCabe continues to receive many prestigious and esteemed awards for her work in Ophthalmology, including being named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor – 2015 to 2022 for Ophthalmology. Castle Connolly also selected her for the first-ever Exceptional Women In Medicine Award for 2017 to 2022. In 2023, Newsweek included Dr. McCabe in the list of national top ophthalmologists She was named to the OSN Premier Surgeon 300 List, and the Premier Surgeon 250 List of Leading Innovators in Premium IOL Cataract Surgery. She was also chosen a LASERVISION Top 100 LASIK Surgeon, elected President of CEDARS/ASPEN-2017, has received the American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement and Secretariat Awards, is the Immediate Past President of the Outpatient Ophthalmic Surgery Society, the chair of the Refractive Surgery Clinical Committee for the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), serves on the governing board of ASCRS and serves on numerous editorial and subspecialty boards and committees. She has leadership positions in mentoring and international educational organizations, serves as Chief Medical Editor for Ophthalmic ASC Magazine and Cataract Refractive Surgery Today, co-chairs the OR Waste Task Force Committee, is an advisory board member of EyeSustain, and is an advisor to many ophthalmology industry partners. She is passionate about giving back to her local community, her profession and globally and participates in charitable giving and volunteer efforts both at home and abroad. She is a board member of several charitable foundations in ophthalmology, including One World Global Health/Sight for Life, OOSS Gives, and others. Dr. McCabe received her medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin and received her residency training at the prestigious Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami’s School of Medicine. She continues to share her expertise by publishing articles and book chapters as well as lecturing at national and international ophthalmological seminars.

Tom Frinzi

Health Care Advisor

Thomas Frinzi has 40 years of med device experience with a keen focus in ophthalmology. He is the former Worldwide President, Surgical, Johnson & Johnson Vision business, which includes a broad ophthalmology portfolio across the areas of cataracts, refractive surgery (LASIK) and dry eye. Tom was appointed to his position in February 2017 at the conclusion of Johnson & Johnson’s acquisition of Abbott Medical Optics (AMO), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Abbott. Mr. Frinzi joined AMO in January 2016 as Senior Vice President of Abbott Laboratories and President, Abbott Medical Optics. Having retired in December, 2019 Mr. Frinzi is a member of several BOD’s in the eye space including Staar Surgical, a company specializing in lens based refractive Surgery. Prior to joining Abbott, Mr. Frinzi held a number of leadership positions in ophthalmology and medical device companies. Most recently, he served as President and CEO of WaveTec Vision, a developer of surgical systems for eye surgery. He also held senior positions in commercial operations, business development, and sales and marketing at Bausch & Lomb Surgical, Refractec and Johnson & Johnson. In recognition of his leadership, expertise and vision in the field, Mr. Frinzi has been awarded the following accolades: Awarded the 2015 Ophthalmology Innovation Award by the Ophthalmology Innovation Summit (OIS); Inducted into the International Intra-Ocular Implant Club (IIIC) in 2017; Awarded the ICONS of Industry Award in 2017 by the Intraocular Implant & Refractive Society, India (IIRSI); voted Top 100 Most Influential People in the World of Ophthalmology by The Ophthalmologist publication for 2018 and received the David Dulaney/AECOS Lifetime Achievement award in 2020. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Tampa.