Clearside Biomedical Expands Leadership Team with Appointment of Susan Coultas, Ph.D., as Chief Clinical Officer

Rhea-AI Summary

Clearside Biomedical (NASDAQ:CLSD) has appointed Susan L. Coultas, Ph.D., as its new Chief Clinical Officer. With over 35 years in clinical development, her experience includes senior roles at multiple ophthalmic companies. Dr. Coultas will oversee the planning and execution of Clearside's clinical trials, including the lead candidate, CLS-AX, aimed at treating neovascular age-related macular degeneration. The executive team, including Dr. Thomas Ciulla, will work closely with her to enhance the company’s clinical pipeline and operational effectiveness.

Positive

• Appointment of Susan L. Coultas as Chief Clinical Officer brings extensive experience in clinical development.
• Her background includes successful product approvals at previous companies, potentially enhancing Clearside's pipeline success.

Negative

• Concerns about continuity and experience gaps in the executive team despite the new appointment.

- Seasoned Life Science Executive Brings Expertise in Ophthalmic Clinical Development, Including Advancement of Multiple Late-Stage Programs to Product Approval -

ALPHARETTA, Ga., June 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearside Biomedical, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLSD), a biopharmaceutical company revolutionizing the delivery of therapies to the back of the eye through the suprachoroidal space (SCS^®), today announced the appointment of Susan L. Coultas, Ph.D., as Chief Clinical Officer. In this role, Dr. Coultas serves as a member of the executive team and has overall responsibility for planning the initiation and execution of Clearside’s clinical trials, including oversight of all clinical development operations.

“We are very excited to have Susan join our team,” said George Lasezkay, Pharm.D., J.D., Clearside’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “With her broad experience in clinical development at multiple leading ophthalmic companies, she will make significant contributions to Clearside’s vision, strategy, and operational effectiveness. Her expertise in advancing a therapy from the initial clinical development stages through approval for commercialization will be a valuable asset as we continue to progress our lead candidate, CLS-AX (axitinib injectable suspension) in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). Dr. Thomas Ciulla, our Chief Medical Officer and Chief Development Officer, will continue his current responsibilities for clinical trial design and overall product pipeline strategy and development. Tom will work closely with Susan regarding the implementation and analysis of our clinical pipeline programs.”

“I am pleased to join a dedicated team focused on developing a new generation of impactful treatments for retinal diseases utilizing a proven approach with our suprachoroidal space injection platform,” said Susan L. Coultas, Ph.D., Chief Clinical Officer. “I look forward to working with the executive team and supporting our clinical programs to realize the broad potential of our pipeline to benefit patients with sight-threatening eye diseases.”

Dr. Coultas brings 35 years of experience in clinical development in the biopharmaceutical industry. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President of Clinical Development at Kala Pharmaceuticals, where she was responsible for the planning and execution of its clinical programs, resulting in two new drug application filings and product approvals. Dr. Coultas has worked with multiple ophthalmic companies, both internally and as a consultant, including Alcon Laboratories, Inc., CibaVision Ophthalmics, Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, and Bausch+Lomb, Inc. Earlier in her career, as owner of InfoQuest Clinical Network, Inc., Dr. Coultas successfully identified, developed, and led a large network of clinical research professionals that managed numerous clinical trials in multiple systemic and ophthalmic therapeutic areas. Dr. Coultas earned a Ph.D. in Public Health, Epidemiology, from Walden University, a M.S. in Biology from University of North Texas, and a B.S. in Biology from Texas Wesleyan University.

About Clearside Biomedical

Clearside Biomedical, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company revolutionizing the delivery of therapies to the back of the eye through the suprachoroidal space (SCS^®). Clearside’s SCS injection platform, utilizing the Company’s proprietary SCS Microinjector^®, enables an in-office, repeatable, non-surgical procedure for the targeted and compartmentalized delivery of a wide variety of therapies to the macula, retina or choroid to potentially preserve and improve vision in patients with sight-threatening eye diseases. Clearside is developing its own pipeline of small molecule product candidates for administration via its SCS Microinjector and strategically partners its SCS injection platform with companies utilizing other ophthalmic therapeutic innovations. Clearside’s first product, XIPERE^® (triamcinolone acetonide injectable suspension) for suprachoroidal use, is commercially available in the U.S. For more information, please visit www.clearsidebio.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by words such as “believe”, “expect”, “may”, “plan”, “potential”, “will”, and similar expressions, and are based on Clearside’s current beliefs and expectations. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the clinical development of Clearside’s product candidates, including CLS-AX. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially include uncertainties inherent in the conduct of clinical trials, Clearside’s reliance on third parties over which it may not always have full control, uncertainties regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and other risks and uncertainties that are described in Clearside’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 11, 2022, and Clearside’s other Periodic Reports filed with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on information available to Clearside as of the date of this release, and Clearside assumes no obligation to, and does not intend to, update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Investor and Media Contacts:

Jenny Kobin
Remy Bernarda
ir@clearsidebio.com
(678) 430-8206

Source: Clearside Biomedical, Inc.

FAQ

What are the qualifications of the new Chief Clinical Officer at Clearside Biomedical?

Susan L. Coultas, Ph.D., has 35 years of experience in clinical development and has held senior roles at several ophthalmic companies, leading to product approvals.

How will Susan L. Coultas impact Clearside Biomedical's clinical trials?

Dr. Coultas will oversee planning and execution of clinical trials, aiming to advance Clearside's lead candidate, CLS-AX, for treating age-related macular degeneration.

When was Susan L. Coultas appointed as Chief Clinical Officer of Clearside Biomedical?

Susan L. Coultas was appointed on June 14, 2022.

What is the primary focus of Susan L. Coultas in her new role?

She will focus on overseeing all clinical development operations and enhancing the effectiveness of the clinical pipeline at Clearside Biomedical.