March 18, 2019
BEDFORD, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Anika Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANIK), a global, integrated orthopedic and regenerative medicines company specializing in therapeutics based on its proprietary hyaluronic acid (“HA”) technology, today announced the appointment of Robert Richard, Ph.D., to the newly created position of Vice President of Research and Development. Dr. Richard is a 20-year research and development (R&D) veteran bringing extensive leadership and product development experience in orthopedic and regenerative medicine. In this new role, Dr. Richard will oversee the Company’s global R&D function and the development of the Company’s novel product offerings from concept through commercialization.
“We are delighted to strengthen our R&D expertise and our executive leadership team with the addition of Dr. Richard, as we continue Anika’s ongoing transformation into a global commercial organization,” said Joseph Darling, President and Chief Executive Officer of Anika Therapeutics. “His depth of knowledge and experience will help us to accelerate and advance our orthopedic and regenerative medicine pipeline and leverage the broad utility of our technology platform.” 
“I am excited to lead Anika’s R&D function during its next phase of innovative growth,” said Robert Richard, Ph.D., Vice President of Research and Development at Anika Therapeutics. “Anika has the resources to deliver a cascade of innovative treatments to patients over the next several years and I look forward to working with this talented R&D organization and management team.”
Dr. Richard has previously held leadership positions with C.R. Bard, Boston Scientific, and Johnson & Johnson, where he led R&D organizations through numerous product development initiatives from the conceptual phase through commercialization. While leading R&D at the surgical division at C.R. Bard, Dr. Richard led programs that launched over 20 new products based on advanced biomaterials technologies over a ten-year period.
Most recently, he led the R&D organization at Hyalex Orthopaedics, an early-stage medical device company advancing treatments based on a novel polymer technology that mimics cartilage. He holds a Ph.D. in polymer chemistry and plastics engineering from the University of Massachusetts Lowell as well as bachelor of science degrees in chemistry and biology from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Dr. Richard is a named inventor on 38 U.S. patents and currently has 19 U.S. patent applications pending. Click here to view Dr. Richard’s full bio.
About Anika Therapeutics, Inc.
Anika Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANIK) is a global, integrated orthopedic and regenerative medicines company based in Bedford, Massachusetts. Anika is committed to improving the lives of patients with degenerative orthopedic diseases and traumatic conditions with clinically meaningful therapies along the continuum of care, from palliative pain management to regenerative tissue repair. The Company has over two decades of global expertise developing, manufacturing, and commercializing more than 20 products based on its proprietary hyaluronic acid (HA) technology. Anika’s orthopedic medicine portfolio includes ORTHOVISC®, MONOVISC®, and CINGAL®, which alleviate pain and restore joint function by replenishing depleted HA, and HYALOFAST, a solid HA-based scaffold to aid cartilage repair and regeneration. For more information about Anika, please visit www.anikatherapeutics.com.
Contacts
For Investor Inquiries:
Anika Therapeutics, Inc.
Sylvia Cheung, 781-457-9000
Chief Financial Officer
For Media Inquiries:
W2O Group
Sonal Vasudev, 917-523-1418
sonal@w2ogroup.com