ATLANTA—EyeSouth Partners, an eyecare management services organization, has announced the expansion of its clinical research division, a strategic move that the company said highlights its commitment to advancing ophthalmic treatments. According to the announcement, the formal establishment of the clinical research division will provide more streamlined and accessible opportunities for collaboration with investors and lens manufacturers across the company’s network, while offering more comprehensive resources to its current research sites. As part of the division’s development, EyeSouth also named Leslie Marcus as its new clinical research director.

"We are excited to introduce a more cohesive approach to our clinical research efforts," said Rex Adams, CEO of EyeSouth Partners. "By centralizing our research activities, we are expanding our clinical capabilities and providing a unified platform that benefits both our affiliates and their patients. Alleviating the administrative burdens encountered by our clinical research sites enables our eye doctors to conduct their research more efficiently, ultimately benefiting their patients.”

According to the announcement, the company’s clinical research division presently supports 29 principal investigators, 36 sub-investigators and 33 clinical research coordinators through more than 130 active ongoing studies at 11 research sites. As the network expands, EyeSouth said it will aim to increase its involvement in ongoing ophthalmic studies and recruit additional investigators to bolster research efforts.

 
 Leslie Marcus.
“The rapid advancements in ophthalmic treatments over the past two decades have been remarkable," said Veeral Sheth, MD, MBA, FASRS, the partner and director of clinical research at University Retina and Macula Associates (an EyeSouth affiliate practice). "Now, with EyeSouth’s support, investigators within our network will have expanded access to the resources they need to continue their research on sight-saving treatments for our patients. I am eager to see firsthand how this collaboration will further strengthen our ability as clinicians to provide the most advanced care to our patients.”

According to the announcement, Marcus brings more than 20 years of expertise in pharmaceutical and clinical research trials across various ophthalmic conditions to her new position as clinical research director.

"Our goal is to elevate the standard of clinical research across all of our practices," said Marcus. "We are committed to ensuring that our research processes are efficient, patient-centric, and yield meaningful results. As the nation's premier surgically-focused ophthalmology network, we aspire to spearhead groundbreaking advancements in patient treatments and care.”

EyeSouth’s network consists of more than 40 practices with more than 300 doctors, offering medical and surgical eyecare services at more than 160 locations across various states.