Helus Pharma (NASDAQ: HELP) (Cboe CA: HELP) has appointed Dr. Freda Lewis-Hall, DFAPA, MFPM, to its board of directors, where she will also serve as chair of the company’s Scientific Advisory Committee, subject to approval by Cboe Canada. Dr. Lewis-Hall brings more than 40 years of experience across clinical care, research, academia and senior biopharmaceutical leadership, including more than a decade on Pfizer’s executive leadership team as executive vice president and chief medical officer, as well as leadership roles at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pharmacia Corporation and Eli Lilly and Company. A Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and former advisor to the National Institute of Mental Health, she will provide scientific, clinical and regulatory governance across Helus’ portfolio as the company advances its novel serotonergic agonist programs targeting serious mental health conditions.
The appointment comes as Helus Pharma prepares to advance its pipeline of proprietary serotonergic agonists (NSAs) designed to activate serotonin pathways believed to promote neuroplasticity. The company is currently developing HLP003, a proprietary NSA, in Phase 3 clinical development for the adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder, which has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Additionally, HLP004, another proprietary NSA, is in Phase 2 for generalized anxiety disorder. Helus Pharma also has an extensive research portfolio of investigational NSAs. For more details on the announcement, visit the full press release at https://ibn.fm/fcqsQ.
Dr. Lewis-Hall’s expertise is expected to strengthen Helus Pharma’s ability to navigate the complex regulatory and clinical development landscape for mental health treatments. The company, founded in 2019 and operating under the commercial name Helus Pharma, aims to improve the treatment landscape through NSAs that provide durable improvements in mental health. With class-leading data, Helus Pharma addresses the large unmet need for people suffering from depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. The company operates in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Company updates and more information are available at www.helus.com.
This appointment underscores Helus Pharma’s commitment to advancing its pipeline with top-tier guidance. Dr. Lewis-Hall’s extensive background in both clinical psychiatry and pharmaceutical leadership positions her to oversee the scientific direction of the company’s NSA programs, which hold promise for transforming mental health care. The company’s focus on neuroplasticity and serotonergic activation represents a novel approach to treating conditions that have seen limited innovation in recent decades. As the company moves forward with late-stage clinical trials, the addition of Dr. Lewis-Hall to the board and as chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee is a strategic move to ensure robust oversight and accelerate the path to regulatory approval.
