Theialife announced the appointment of Thomas Ruggia as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Ruggia will oversee the company’s development, operational, and corporate strategy as it approaches key milestones, including the planned initiation of phase 3 clinical development for its lead candidate, ND10, for myopia.

The company’s co-founder, Sundeep Aurora, will continue to lead scientific research and development efforts while serving as Chairman.

Mr. Ruggia brings more than 25 years of leadership experience spanning ophthalmology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and consumer healthcare. His career includes senior roles at major global organizations such as Johnson & Johnson, Alcon, and Novartis. He joins Theialife from Samsara Vision, a commercial-stage ophthalmic device company, where he served as CEO since 2020.

“We are approaching a critical inflection point as we prepare to initiate phase 3 development of ND10 in myopia, and we believe that Tom’s deep expertise in ophthalmology makes him ideally suited to lead the next phase of our corporate and clinical evolution,” said Mr. Aurora. “He has demonstrated an ability to lead through late-stage development, regulatory milestones, and commercial launches, while simultaneously scaling organizations and securing the capital necessary to support these efforts.”

“Theialife’s rigorous science and innovative ophthalmology platform has the potential to deliver desperately needed solutions for patients and transform the standard of care for a number of ocular diseases,” Mr. Ruggia said. “It is an honor to lead the company at this key juncture as we prepare to enter phase 3 development.”

ND10 (7-Methylxanthine) is a first-in-class oral therapy being developed to slow the progression of pediatric myopia. As an adenosine A2A receptor antagonist, it works by enhancing dopamine activity and strengthening collagen in the posterior sclera, helping stabilize eye structure and reduce elongation. 

“ND10 is meaningfully de-risked through a combination of compelling clinical data as well as two decades of real-world evidence in a compassionate use setting in Denmark with over 1,200 children treated, with highly encouraging results to date,” Mr. Ruggia said. “Theialife’s differentiated oral therapy for pediatric myopia has the potential to represent a novel approach to addressing the growing burden of pediatric myopia.”