David J. Tanzer, MD

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Tanzer brings over 25 years of clinical development and executive leadership experience in the ophthalmology space. Prior to joining OcuTerra, he served as Global Executive Medical Director in the Novartis ophthalmology franchise, providing medical and development leadership in advancing and launching novel therapies for macular degeneration and diabetes, dry eye, presbyopia, amblyopia and gene therapies for rare inherited retinal diseases. Previously, Dr. Tanzer served as the Chief Medical Officer at Abbott Medical Optics (AMO) where he led the development and launch of over 30 products in 4 ½ years, as well as overseeing the transition of AMO to Johnson & Johnson Vision. He also led the Navy Refractive Surgery Program in San Diego, participating as principal or co-investigator in over 50 IRB-approved clinical studies, serving as a consultant and clinical / surgical investigator for over 10 companies on several pivotal trials, publishing 35 peer-reviewed papers and presenting at over 150 international conferences on behalf of the program. Dr. Tanzer earned his undergraduate degrees in Pharmacology and Biopsychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his MD from Georgetown University.