PolyActiva Strengthens Executive Team to Accelerate U.S. Expansion and Advance Late-Stage Clinical Development of Sustained-Release Ocular Therapies
PolyActiva, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company at the forefront of innovation in ocular drug delivery, has announced two key leadership appointments that signal a bold step forward in its mission to transform treatment outcomes for patients with chronic eye diseases. The company revealed the appointment of Wes Brazell as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Michael Brubaker, PhD, as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), both of whom bring decades of industry experience and deep domain expertise to the expanding executive team.
This move comes at a pivotal moment for the Melbourne, Australia-based company as it transitions from a regional innovator to a global player. With a proprietary sustained-release drug delivery technology known as the PREZIA™ platform, PolyActiva is aiming to tackle some of ophthalmology’s biggest challenges—most notably, improving treatment adherence and long-term efficacy for conditions like glaucoma. The company’s lead investigational product, PA5108, is poised to enter late-stage clinical development in the United States following a recent infusion of growth capital.
“Wes and Mike bring exceptional expertise in their respective fields and a shared commitment to innovation and value creation in ophthalmology,” said Jerry St. Peter, CEO and Board Director of PolyActiva. “Their appointments come at an important time as we scale globally and advance our lead product candidate, PA5108, into late-stage clinical development. Alongside Vanessa Waddell’s continued leadership as Chief Strategy Officer, we’re building a highly capable executive team to guide our next phase of growth.”
According to St. Peter, these appointments not only enhance the company’s senior leadership capacity but also underscore PolyActiva’s commitment to building a transpacific presence, bridging its technical base in Australia with expanding operations in the United States. “These appointments enhance our deep technical foundation in Australia and position us to deliver on our mission to lead in sustained-release ocular therapies and improve patient outcomes,” he added.
A Seasoned Financial Leader Joins as CFO
Bringing more than three decades of strategic and operational financial leadership to the role, Wes Brazell steps into the CFO position with a long-standing track record of success in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. His previous roles include serving as CFO at Xequel Bio, Eyevance Pharmaceuticals, and TearLab Corporation, where he was instrumental in financial structuring, growth-stage fundraising, and scaling operations.
Brazell also spent over 20 years with Alcon, a global ophthalmology powerhouse, where he held numerous senior finance roles, overseeing regional and global finance operations. His experience includes managing capital allocation, optimizing resource deployment for R&D portfolios, and contributing to strategic M&A initiatives—all of which will be invaluable to PolyActiva as it enters its next stage of development.
“PolyActiva is backed by exceptional biotech investors and is entering a pivotal growth phase,” said Brazell. “The recent Series C financing gives us the runway to scale in the U.S., launch our Phase 2b trial, and accelerate both the path to commercializing PA5108 and identifying additional assets to leverage the PREZIA platform.”
Brazell noted that the company’s unique platform and forward-thinking leadership team were key factors in his decision to join. “I’m excited to join this talented team and look forward to contributing to this next chapter of success,” he said.
Scientific Depth Strengthened with Appointment of Accomplished R&D Leader as CSO
Also joining PolyActiva’s leadership team is Dr. Michael Brubaker, a pharmaceutical research veteran with over 25 years of experience in the development of therapies for ophthalmic, otic, and respiratory diseases. As Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Brubaker will oversee the company’s R&D efforts, guiding the development and advancement of both current and future pipeline programs.
Dr. Brubaker most recently served as CSO at Xequel Bio, where he led early-stage drug development activities. He previously held senior leadership roles at several leading healthcare organizations, including Novartis, Alcon, Bausch & Lomb, and Abbott Laboratories. Notably, at Novartis, he played a key role in the global development and regulatory advancement of Xiidra®, a prescription eye drop for the treatment of dry eye disease, which became the first prescription treatment for dry eye approved in over a decade when it launched.
Dr. Brubaker brings not only drug development and regulatory expertise but also a track record of innovation in drug-device combination therapies—an area that aligns directly with PolyActiva’s vision.
“The PREZIA platform represents a breakthrough for ocular drug delivery through its innovative and cutting-edge technology,” said Dr. Brubaker. “I’m thrilled to join PolyActiva and eager to help our strong, experienced R&D team to advance and fortify our pipeline with the potential to transform how we treat glaucoma and other serious eye diseases.”
Dr. Brubaker’s arrival is expected to enhance the company’s capabilities in preclinical and clinical development, while also helping guide long-term R&D strategy and lifecycle planning for pipeline assets.
Strategic Growth Following Major Financing Round and CEO Appointment
The latest executive appointments follow several other high-impact strategic moves, most notably the appointment of Jerry St. Peter as CEO earlier this year. A veteran of the ophthalmology and specialty pharmaceutical industries, St. Peter joined the company with an ambitious agenda to expand PolyActiva’s presence in the U.S. and lead its transition into a commercial-stage company.
Under his leadership, the company also closed a $25 million (AUD $40 million) Series C financing round, backed by a syndicate of leading life sciences investors. The funding will enable PolyActiva to execute its Phase 2b clinical trial in the U.S. for PA5108 and support expanded pipeline discovery efforts leveraging the PREZIA platform.
PA5108, the company’s lead candidate, is a biodegradable, sustained-release ocular implant designed to deliver prostaglandin analogs directly to the anterior chamber of the eye for six months following a single administration. The approach is intended to address a long-standing challenge in glaucoma care: poor patient adherence to daily eye drop regimens.
Clinical studies to date have demonstrated the potential of PA5108 to achieve sustained intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction with a favorable safety profile, setting the stage for a Phase 2b trial in the U.S., which will further evaluate its efficacy and durability.
The drug’s potential to improve outcomes and reduce the burden of treatment in glaucoma—a leading cause of irreversible blindness—has generated significant interest from ophthalmologists and investors alike.
A Vision for the Future: Building the Next Global Ophthalmology Leader
PolyActiva’s platform and pipeline are rooted in a vision of innovation and sustained therapeutic benefit. The company’s proprietary PREZIA™ technology enables precise and tunable drug release through implants that biodegrade safely over time, eliminating the need for removal or multiple dosing events.
This technology could have far-reaching implications not only for glaucoma but also for a wide range of anterior and posterior segment ocular diseases, from uveitis and macular edema to age-related macular degeneration. With a strong foundation in polymer science, drug delivery, and clinical ophthalmology, the company is uniquely positioned to lead a new wave of innovation in eye care.
As PolyActiva expands its operations in the United States and prepares for late-stage clinical trials, the combined expertise of its newly appointed CFO and CSO, along with the strategic leadership of its CEO and other executives, positions the company to deliver on its promise to improve the standard of care in ophthalmology.
“Our mission is clear,” said St. Peter. “We aim to develop therapies that make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives. With a world-class team and transformative technology, PolyActiva is poised to become a leader in the sustained-release ocular therapeutics space.”
About PolyActiva
PolyActiva is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, with a growing presence in the United States. The company is focused on the development of sustained-release therapies for ocular diseases using its proprietary PREZIA™ platform, designed to provide consistent therapeutic delivery over extended periods. PolyActiva’s lead candidate, PA5108, is being developed for the treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension.
