George Lasezkay, BS ’74, PharmD ’78: 2024 UB Distinguished Alumni Award

Lasezkay is the president and chief executive officer of Clearside Biomedical Inc., a company focused on treating retinal disorders using suprachoroidal drug delivery. In 2021, his company received FDA approval for the first and only ophthalmic drug product to be approved for suprachoroidal administration. 

From 1974 to 1975, Lasezkay completed the inaugural Buffalo General (now Kaleida Health) clinical pharmacy residency program. He was assistant professor at the UB School of Pharmacy from 1978 to 1983 where he directed the PharmD program and conducted clinical pharmacokinetic consultation and research at Millard Fillmore Hospital and Erie County Medical Center. He earned his law degree from the University of Southern California School of Law in 1986. 

From 1989 to 2002, Lasezkay was employed by Allergan, Inc., a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company, where he held executive leadership positions, including assistant general counsel and ultimately, corporate vice president for corporate development and strategy serving on the company’s global executive committee. He had the leading role in new technology acquisitions and championed innovative licensing arrangements such as Botox® for treatment of migraine headaches and creative research and development collaborations like the Allergan/Ligand retinoid joint venture which received the 1992 Recap Biotechnology Deal of the Year award. 

He has served as a business advisor and independent director for various domestic and European emerging biopharmaceutical companies, both public and private. He has held adjunct professor positions at the University of Southern California Pharmacy School and the University of San Diego Law School.  

Lasezkay provided strategic direction to key UB Pharmacy School initiatives through his eight years of service as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council. He was also instrumental in providing advisement for the development of curricular offerings to support UB Pharmacy’s innovative PharmD/JD degree. 

Lasezkay will receive this award at the University at Buffalo Alumni Association Achievement Awards Ceremony on October 17. See here for full list of all UB award winners.