Revolutionizing eyecare treatment, Bobak Azamian, CEO & Chairman, Tarsus Pharmaceuticals

Biotech 2050 Podcast

Synopsis: Bobak Azamian, MD, Ph.D., is the CEO and Chairman of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company that applies proven science and new technology to revolutionize treatment for patients, starting with eye care. Bobby talks about his early years working in the venture capital space before founding his first company. He shares what it’s like running a publicly traded biotech for the first time and the evolution of his role over the years at Tarsus. He shares his viewpoint on unmet needs and the importance of having a true focus on what’s really happening to the patient. He talks about future indications they’re pursuing at the company and how he leverages learnings from the first programs they ran to what’s coming up next. Finally, he discusses the company’s decision to commercialize in-house versus with a partner and the challenges of taking the company public during the pandemic in 2020. Biography: Bobby cofounded Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. with Michael Ackermann in November 2016 and has served as its President and CEO since September 2018. He has served as the company’s Chairman since December 2022. Since its founding, Tarsus has established a leading team and culture and has completed successful fundraising efforts through multiple private and public financings and global partnerships. Tarsus recently secured FDA approval for its first product, XDEMVY™ (lotilaner ophthalmic solution) 0.25%, which is the first and only FDA-approved treatment in the United States for the eyelid disease Demodex blepharitis. Beyond XDEMVY, Tarsus continues to advance its pipeline into Phase 2 clinical studies evaluating therapies that have the potential to create new categories to treat other major diseases, including meibomian gland disease, rosacea, and Lyme disease prevention. Bobby has cofounded and led other novel therapeutics companies, including Vibrato Medical and Metavention, and currently serves on the board of Vibrato Medical and as Chairman of the board of Osanni Bio. Bobby began his biotechnology career at Versant Ventures and Third Rock Ventures, where he was an investor and board observer for a variety of life sciences companies. He also served on the board of the nonprofit organization Octane. Bobby trained as a physician scientist, completing his residency in internal medicine and serving as an attending hospitalist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He received an MD from Harvard Medical School (Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology), a PhD in chemistry from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, and a BA in physics from Rice University. He is also an author of numerous patents and peer-reviewed publications. Bobby enjoys sports, travel, arts and culture, and spending time in Newport Beach with his newborn son, wife, and dog.