Ocugen Appoints Industry Executive Jolanda Crombach General Manager of European Affiliate

The European affiliate will support potential commercialization in Europe alongside upcoming marketing authorization submissions.

Rhea-AI Summary

Ocugen (OCGN) appointed Jolanda Crombach as General Manager of its newly established European affiliate, headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. She will lead development of the affiliate’s team and infrastructure to support three late-stage gene therapy programs.

OCU400 targets retinitis pigmentosa, OCU410 targets geographic atrophy secondary to dry age-related macular degeneration, and OCU410ST targets Stargardt disease. All three programs are in Phase 3. Ocugen expects data readouts in 2027 and 2028, followed by global regulatory submissions, including applications for marketing authorization in Europe. Crombach most recently served as Managing Director and Board Member of Moderna Netherlands.

4 points · 0 major

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Hollow bars mark forward-looking points. How the balance works

Positive

• Moderate pointOCU400, OCU410 and OCU410ST are all in Phase 3 development.
• Moderate point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.Ocugen expects 2027 and 2028 data readouts, followed by global regulatory submissions, including European marketing authorization applications.
• Minor pointEuropean expansion includes a newly established Amsterdam affiliate to support Ocugen’s gene therapy programs.
• Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.European affiliate plans to build team and infrastructure supporting three late-stage programs.

Negative

• None.

Key Figures

Phase 3 programs: 3 programs Expected key data readouts: 2027 and 2028

Phase 3 programs

3 programs

Ocugen’s late-stage modifier gene therapy programs

Expected key data readouts

2027 and 2028

Across the three development programs

Key Terms

phase 3, marketing authorization application, retinitis pigmentosa, stargardt disease

4 terms

phase 3 medical

"All three development programs are in Phase 3"

Phase 3 is the late-stage clinical testing step for a new drug or medical treatment, where the product is given to large groups of patients to confirm effectiveness, monitor side effects, and compare it to standard care. Successful Phase 3 results are often the final scientific hurdle before regulators decide on approval and market launch—like passing a final exam before graduation—and can sharply change a company's valuation and future revenue prospects.

marketing authorization application regulatory

"including Marketing Authorization Application submissions in Europe"

A marketing authorization application is a formal request submitted to a government regulator asking permission to sell a prescription medicine or medical product in a country or region. Think of it like asking for a business license after showing evidence the product is safe and works; investors care because approval determines whether the product can generate sales, how soon revenue starts, and how much regulatory risk and uncertainty remains.

retinitis pigmentosa medical

"OCU400 for retinitis pigmentosa"

Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of inherited disorders that slowly damage the light-sensing cells in the retina, causing progressive loss of peripheral and night vision and often leading to legal blindness. It matters to investors because the condition defines a clear patient population and long-term need for treatments, making clinical trial design, potential market size, and regulatory approval pathways central considerations when valuing companies developing diagnostics or therapies.

stargardt disease medical

"OCU410ST for Stargardt disease"

A hereditary eye disorder that gradually destroys the macula, the small central part of the retina responsible for sharp, straight‑ahead vision; imagine the center of a camera sensor losing pixels so faces and words become blurred while peripheral sight stays. It matters to investors because it defines the size and urgency of the market for new drugs, gene therapies and diagnostics, shapes clinical trial design and regulatory risk, and influences potential future revenue and valuation for companies developing treatments.

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• European Affiliate, based in Amsterdam, to support upcoming marketing authorization submissions, OCU410 Phase 3 development program, and potential commercialization in Europe
  

MALVERN, Pa., Oct. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ocugen, Inc. (“Ocugen” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: OCGN), a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing novel gene therapies to address blindness diseases, today announced the appointment of Jolanda Crombach, MSc PharmD, as General Manager of the Company’s European affiliate. Ms. Crombach, an accomplished pharmaceutical executive with more than 20 years of industry experience, will lead the Company’s newly established European affiliate, headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

“As we advance our three Phase 3 modifier gene therapy programs toward regulatory submissions and potential commercialization, establishing a strong presence in Europe is an important component of our growth strategy,” said Shankar Musunuri, PhD, MBA, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Ocugen. “Jolanda is ideally suited to lead this important expansion. Her extensive pharmaceutical leadership experience, deep understanding of the European healthcare environment and track record of building organizations will be invaluable as we develop our European operations and prepare to potentially bring transformative, one-time treatment gene therapies to patients.”

Under Ms. Crombach’s leadership, the European affiliate will build the team and infrastructure to support Ocugen’s three late-stage modifier gene therapy programs addressing major blindness diseases, including OCU400 for retinitis pigmentosa, OCU410 for GA secondary to dry age-related macular degeneration, and OCU410ST for Stargardt disease. All three development programs are in Phase 3, with key data readouts expected in 2027 and 2028, followed by global regulatory submissions, including Marketing Authorization Application submissions in Europe.

Ms. Crombach brings a proven track record of building and leading organizations across the European life sciences sector. Most recently, she served as Managing Director and Board Member of Moderna Netherlands, where she built the company’s Netherlands affiliate from the ground up and subsequently led its operations. Prior to Moderna, she held leadership roles spanning commercial, market access, medical, corporate and public affairs at MSD (Merck) and Pfizer. She began her career as a pharmacist and holds a MSc PharmD degree from Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

“I am excited to join Ocugen and contribute to the Company’s mission of developing innovative gene therapies for people living with blindness diseases,” said Jolanda Crombach, General Manager of European Affiliate, Ocugen. “Ocugen has built an innovative pipeline addressing significant unmet needs in ophthalmology, and I look forward to working with the team to establish a strong European organization and help expand access to these potentially transformative gene therapies for patients across Europe.”

About Ocugen, Inc.
Ocugen, Inc. is a pioneering biotechnology company developing gene therapies for blindness diseases. The Company’s breakthrough modifier gene therapy platform has the potential to address significant unmet medical needs across large patient populations through a gene-agnostic approach. Unlike traditional gene therapies and gene-editing technologies that target a single gene mutation, Ocugen’s modifier gene therapies are designed to address the underlying disease biology by restoring balance across multiple gene networks. The Company is currently advancing programs for inherited retinal diseases and other causes of blindness that affect millions worldwide, including retinitis pigmentosa, Stargardt disease, and geographic atrophy, an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration. Discover more at www.ocugen.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding strategy, business plans and objectives for Ocugen’s clinical programs, plans and timelines for the preclinical and clinical development of Ocugen’s product candidates, including the therapeutic potential, clinical benefits and safety thereof, expectations regarding timing, success and data announcements of current ongoing preclinical and clinical trials, including the timing of enrollment and data readouts, the ability to initiate new clinical programs, statements regarding qualitative assessments of available data, potential benefits, expectations for ongoing clinical trials, anticipated regulatory filings and anticipated development timelines, statements regarding potential market size and commercial possibilities of Ocugen’s product candidates, which are subject to risks and uncertainties. We may, in some cases, use terms such as “predicts,” “believes,” “potential,” “proposed,” “continue,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “may,” “could,” “might,” “will,” “should,” or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to numerous important factors, risks, and uncertainties that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from our current expectations, including, but not limited to, the risks that preliminary, interim and top-line clinical trial results may not be indicative of, and may differ from, final clinical data; that unfavorable new clinical trial data may emerge in ongoing clinical trials or through further analyses of existing clinical trial data; that earlier non-clinical and clinical data and testing may not be predictive of the results or success of later clinical trials; and that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments, including by regulatory authorities. These and other risks and uncertainties are more fully described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the risk factors described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the quarterly and annual reports that we file with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements that we make in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this press release whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, after the date of this press release.

Contacts:

Investors:
Candice Masse
astr partners
candice.masse@astrpartners.com

Media:
Chris Clark
chris.clark@ocugen.com

FAQ

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Who will lead Ocugen’s new European affiliate?

Jolanda Crombach has been appointed General Manager of Ocugen’s European affiliate in Amsterdam, Netherlands. She most recently served as Managing Director and Board Member of Moderna Netherlands.

What will Ocugen’s European affiliate support?

The affiliate will support OCU400, OCU410 and OCU410ST through team and infrastructure development, upcoming marketing authorization submissions and potential commercialization in Europe. All three gene therapy programs are in Phase 3.