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An Alpharetta, Ga., biopharmaceutical company developing eye disease treatments has hired a general counsel and chief compliance officer.

Leslie Zacks will step into the newly created role at Clearside Biomedical Inc. (NASDAQ:CLSD).

Zacks most recently served as vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer at Arbor Pharmaceuticals in Atlanta. Prior to joining Arbor, Zacks was executive vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer at Shionogi Pharma Inc. from 2004 to 2010. From 2002 to 2004, he worked at Hunton & Williams LLP, where he was a partner in the Intellectual Property Litigation department. 

Zacks is a registered patent attorney who has held associate positions at Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy LLP and at Webb, Carlock, Copeland, Semler and Stair LLP. His bachelor's degree and law degree are from the University of Florida.

“I am very pleased to welcome Leslie as a member of our executive team,” Clearside’s CEO and President Daniel H. White said in a statement. “His appointment comes at a particularly important time, as we prepare to submit our first NDA before the end of this year and continue to advance our late-stage pipeline. Leslie’s expertise in navigating the legal and regulatory requirements for the development and commercialization of new products, combined with his established record for developing effective strategies that mitigate risk and enhance business value, will be a tremendous asset for us going forward as we continue to plan Clearside’s transition from a clinical-stage to a commercial-stage company.”

Clearside Biomedical is developing treatments that restore and preserve vision for people with eye diseases where macular edema is a common complication, including uveitis, retinal vein occlusion and diabetic macular edema. The company's proprietary suprachoroidal treatment approach offers unprecedented access to the back of the eye, where sight-threatening disease often occurs.