Key Takeaways

  • Samsara Vision promoted Jason Herod to president and CEO, effective April 28, 2026, after he most recently served as the company’s chief commercial officer
  • The company said its SING IMT has been implanted in more than 550 patients across 19 countries where the device is approved for use
  • Samsara Vision is preparing for the PERSPECTIVE study evaluating SING IMT outcomes in pseudophakic patients with late-stage AMD 

Samsara Vision has promoted Jason Herod to president and chief executive officer, effective April 28, 2026. The announcement comapany comes as the company continues the commercialization and clinical development of its implantable telescope technology for patients with late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Mr. Herod joined Samsara Vision in 2021 and most recently served as chief commercial officer, where he was responsible for commercialization of the company’s Smaller-Incision New-Generation Implantable Miniature Telescope (SING IMT). He brings more than 29 years of experience across ophthalmic medical devices, pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter products. Before joining Samsara Vision, he spent 15 years at Alcon, most recently serving as global senior director of presbyopia-correcting IOLs within the company’s surgical business.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Saint Mary’s University in Canada and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Toronto.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead Samsara Vision, particularly during a time of immense growth,” Mr. Herod said in a statement. “In CE Referenced countries, where the SING IMT is approved for use, we have seen tremendous excitement and uptake of our device for late-stage AMD, where it has been implanted in over 550 patients in 19 countries.”

Mr. Herod also pointed to the upcoming PERSPECTIVE study as a key component of the company’s clinical strategy. The European clinical trial is designed to evaluate outcomes with the SING IMT in patients with pseudophakic eyes. According to Samsara, PERSPECTIVE is the first study designed to assess outcomes in pseudophakic eyes in a controlled, multinational setting. The company says including patients who have previously undergone cataract surgery could expand the population evaluated for the technology as pseudophakia is common among individuals with late-stage AMD. The study’s primary endpoints will assess safety, visual outcomes, patient selection criteria and rehabilitation strategies.

Samsara Vision also announced several additional leadership appointments. Faustino Vidal Aroca, PhD, has assumed the role of global vice president of clinical and medical affairs, while Syed Rashid has been named global vice president of market access and Europe commercial. Zubair Hussain, PhD, has joined the company as global vice president of regulatory affairs and quality, and Pedro Gonçalves has joined as global vice president of marketing.