From Rootstown to the Nasdaq
by Carrie Circosta, Alumni Relations
On Feb. 6, 2026, SpyGlass Pharma began trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol SGP, raising approximately $150 million in its initial public offering. For founder Malik Y. Kahook, M.D. (’01), the milestone represented nearly a decade of focused work to solve a problem he had witnessed throughout his career.
That journey began in Rootstown, Ohio.
When Dr. Kahook arrived at what was then Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, he entered as a direct-admit student with a nursing background, joining a class largely made up of B.S./M.D. students who had already formed strong social circles. He recalls those early days candidly: it felt like survival. But what stood out even more was the culture of the program—an environment defined by energy, ambition and a belief that barriers could be overcome.
“It’s a can-do attitude, and it’s infectious,” he says.
That mindset helped shape his path. By the time he graduated in 2001, Dr. Kahook knew he wanted to specialize in ophthalmology, and that he wanted to do more than practice medicine. He wanted to build something that would change it.
After completing his residency at the University of Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Institute, where he served as Chief Resident, and a glaucoma fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Dr. Kahook joined the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine as a clinician and researcher. He currently serves as vice chair of Translational Research and chief of the Glaucoma Service.
At the University Colorado, he hit the ground running with one of his first inventions, the Kahook Dual Blade (KDB), which has become one of the most commonly used surgical tools to treat glaucoma globally. As he contemplated addressing other unmet needs in the treatment of glaucoma, one challenge kept resurfacing: glaucoma patients were prescribed daily eye drops to control intraocular pressure, yet many struggled to adhere to the routine. Missed doses often led to serious consequences for their vision.
“The issue isn’t the medication,” Dr. Kahook explains. “It’s the burden we place on patients to take it perfectly, every day.”
Determined to remove that burden, he co-founded SpyGlass Pharma in 2019 with Glenn Sussman. The company developed a sustained drug delivery platform designed to administer medication directly and continuously under physician control, eliminating the need for daily drops and reducing the risk of non-adherence. Now in Phase 3 clinical trials, the company’s recent IPO positions it to bring this innovation to patients worldwide.
When Dr. Kahook speaks to aspiring physician-innovators, he offers clear, practical advice. “The idea is the easy part,” he says. “Everything after that is what prevents people from moving forward.” He encourages clinicians to identify real problems through their work with patients, stay focused on what can be done today rather than years down the line, and build resilience through persistence and mentorship.
“Find people close to you who have done it before,” he says. “When someone you know succeeds, it makes you believe you can too.”
Dr. Kahook and his wife, Nida Awadallah, M.D. (’07), are both NEOMED alumni, maintaining a deep connection to the University that helped shape their careers. His story—from navigating a new environment in Rootstown to leading a Nasdaq-listed company—reflects the spirit of innovation and determination that defines NEOMED.
It is a reminder that with curiosity, persistence, and the right environment, meaningful change is possible, not just in a career, but in the lives of millions of patients worldwide.