Tarsus Pharmaceuticals has brought on Jeff Farrow as CFO and chief strategy officer, the company announced Monday. 

Farrow will be succeeding Leo Greenstein, who has served as Tarsus’ CFO since 2020.

Farrow brings 20 years of experience in finance and corporate strategy leadership in the life science industry to his new role, including time at Global Blood Therapeutics, where he most recently served as CFO. 

At Global Blood Therapeutics, he helped lead the company’s commercialization and approval of Oxbryta — a sickle cell disease treatment. Previously, Farrow also worked at ZS Pharma and Hyperion Therapeutics.

Tarsus CEO Bobak Azamian noted in a statement that Farrow’s appointment comes as the company seeks to “enter the next stage of growth and transition into a commercial organization.”

“Jeff’s robust experience in finance, corporate strategy and business development — as well as his proven track record in supporting companies as they evolve into successful commercial enterprises — will help position us to transform into a leading eye care company,” Azamian said.

Tarsus has been betting on its lead candidate — an investigational Demodex blepharitis therapy, TP-03, which met the primary endpoint and secondary endpoints in two recent trials. 

In September 2022, Tarsus submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the Food and Drug Administration for TP-03. Demodex blepharitis is an eye disease caused by Demodex mites, leading to inflammation and irritation in the eyelids.

Around the same time as it submitted the NDA for TP-03, Tarsus launched a campaign — Look at the Lids — aimed at raising awareness about Demodex blepharitis among healthcare providers and the general public. The campaign urged doctors to screen more for the condition, which can have visual signs — like collarettes, a waxy debris, found on the eyelids.

“It’s a patient-focused campaign by having doctors look at the key signs of this disease in order to diagnose this disease,” Azamian told MM+M at the time.

Farrow referred to Tarsus’ focus on the disease as he took on the new position. 

“I’m excited to join Tarsus at this very important and exciting time in the company’s evolution, where we have the opportunity to create and build an entirely new category in eye care and potentially help millions of patients suffering from Demodex blepharitis,” Farrow said in a statement.

The pharma has also been developing TP-04 for papulopustular rosacea and TP-05 for Lyme disease prevention.