ATLANTA—Alimera Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALIM), a leader in the commercialization and development of prescription ophthalmology treatments for the management of retinal diseases, announced the appointment of John Snisarenko to its board of directors. Snisarenko has more than 30 years of commercial experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including major retina and ophthalmology businesses. “John’s commercial experience in ophthalmology and other successful pharmaceutical products makes him a great addition to our board  and a great resource to help me guide Alimera into the future,” said Rick Eiswirth, Alimera’s president and CEO.

Snisarenko said, “Iluvien brings to the table unique and impactful benefits for treating both diabetic macular edema and non-infectious posterior uveitis. I am very pleased to join Alimera’s board of directors at this exciting time as the company pursues its strategy to become a leader in the treatment of retinal diseases.”  

Snisarenko joined Shire (now Takeda) in 2017 as group vice president and head of its ophthalmic business. During that time, he led a large, multidisciplinary team in the launch of Shire’s first ophthalmic therapeutic, Xiidra, for treatment of dry eye. He also served as a member of the commercial leadership team at Shire and, as well, has played a key role in the divestiture of the ophthalmic business to Novartis Pharma.

Prior to joining Shire, Snisarenko led commercial activities for Genentech’s ophthalmology (Lucentis) and rheumatology (Rituxan, Actemra) franchises for 10 years. All three medicines achieved more than $1 billion in sales in the U.S. Snisarenko also held various positions of increasing responsibility at CIBA Vision/Novartis Pharma. In his last nine years at Novartis, he served as vice president and business unit head for the Canadian business at Novartis Ophthalmics, holding general management responsibilities.

Snisarenko has also held numerous advisory board positions and was a board member for the Foundation Fighting Blindness in Canada. He holds a B.Sc. in Biochemistry and an MBA in Marketing and International Business from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.