(PRESS RELEASE) ZUG, CH — Oculis Holding AG (“Oculis”), a global biopharmaceutical company focused on breakthrough innovations to address significant unmet medical needs in neuro-ophthalmology and ophthalmology, announced the appointment of Katie Kazem as Chief Legal Officer, leading Oculis’ legal, compliance and corporate governance functions. Ms. Kazem brings extensive expertise in corporate and securities law, with a distinguished track record advising public and private life sciences companies on complex transactions and regulatory matters.
Riad Sherif, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Oculis, stated “Katie joins Oculis at an exciting moment, with Privosegtor advancing into the PIONEER program with registrational trials for a novel neuroprotective platform and just ahead of the much‑anticipated DIAMOND Phase 3 topline results for OCS‑01 eye drops in DME, expected in Q2. This significant momentum reinforces our commitment to delivering transformational therapies. I look forward to working alongside Katie as we continue to make rapid progress across our highly differentiated pipeline and prepare for important late-stage clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestones.”
Katie Kazem, Chief Legal Officer of Oculis, said “I am honored to be joining Oculis at such an important stage of the company’s journey to become a global leader in neuro-ophthalmology and ophthalmology. Over the past few years, I have had the privilege of serving as external legal counsel to Oculis since its listing on NASDAQ in March 2023, which allowed me to work closely with its exceptional executive team and board of directors, witness the company’s remarkable progress and unwavering business integrity, and gain deeper insight into its highly promising pipeline. I look forward to continuing this collaboration as we advance the company’s late‑stage assets toward future clinical milestones and commercialization.”
Ms. Kazem brings to Oculis over 15 years of experience representing life sciences companies on US initial public offerings (IPOs), capital raising, M&A and strategic transactions, SEC compliance, and corporate governance. She joins Oculis from Cooley LLP, a leading international law firm, where she was a capital markets partner. At Cooley, she represented dozens of publicly traded life sciences and technology companies in their IPOs, acquisitions, follow-on offerings, and strategic licensing transactions. She has particular expertise in advising dual-listed biotechnology companies across Europe. Her experience spans both company-side and underwriter-side representations across the life sciences and technology sectors. Ms. Kazem earned her JD, magna cum laude, from George Mason University School of Law, a Master’s degree in Public Policy from George Mason University School of Public Policy, and a BA in Government from the College of William & Mary.
