Oculis Appoints Katie Kazem As Chief Legal Officer To Lead Legal And Governance Strategy

Oculis Holding AG, a global biopharmaceutical company focused on neuro-ophthalmology and ophthalmology, has appointed Katie Kazem as its new Chief Legal Officer. In this role, she will oversee the company’s legal, compliance, and corporate governance functions.

Ms. Kazem brings more than 15 years of experience advising life sciences companies on complex corporate and regulatory matters. Her background includes supporting U.S. initial public offerings (IPOs), capital raises, mergers and acquisitions, strategic transactions, SEC compliance, and governance frameworks.

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."

She joins Oculis from Cooley LLP, where she served as a capital markets partner. During her tenure at Cooley, she represented numerous publicly traded life sciences and technology companies in IPOs, follow-on offerings, acquisitions, and licensing transactions. She has particular expertise in advising dual-listed biotechnology companies across Europe and has worked on both company-side and underwriter-side mandates.

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 earned her Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from George Mason University School of Law, along with a Master’s degree in Public Policy from George Mason University School of Public Policy. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government from College of William & Mary.