PLL Therapeutics appoints Dr. Souad Kechairi as chief medical officer

(MENAFNEditorial) Dr. Kechairi strengthens clinical team to advance PLL Therapeutics’ autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases pipeline and enter phase 1 clinical trials with lead candidate for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Villenave-d’Ornon (near Bordeaux) France, October 28, 2024 – PLL Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company developing a groundbreaking polypeptide delivery platform to treat the root cause of autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases with a focus on restoring gut permeability, today announces the appointment of Dr. Souad Kechairi as chief medical officer.

Dr. Kechairi brings to PLL Therapeutics 20 years’ European and wider global clinical trial research experience, with a specialty in neurology, an area she has focused on for more than a decade. Her main objectives will be to steer the biopharmaceutical company’s medical and clinical strategy, oversee the implementation of its first clinical trial in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and coordinate external partners with a goal of optimizing the roll out of pre-marketing phases.

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Souad Kechairi to PLL Therapeutics as we prepare our first clinical trial, a significant milestone for our growing company,” said Jean-Pascal Zambaux, CEO of PLL Therapeutics. “Her timely arrival, diverse experience in pharmaceutical companies, and expertise in cellular and integrative neuroscience will give new impetus to our pipeline - focused on autoimmune diseases and neurodegenerative disorders - and drive forward our clinical developments in ALS. Through her vast experience and medical vision, we are reinforcing our strategic approach and ability to bring our combination therapeutic drug to market under optimal conditions.”

PLL Therapeutics’ primary indication is ALS, a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting upper and lower motor neurons, with death resulting mainly from respiratory failure three to five years after symptom onset.

Although classified as a rare disease based on its prevalence, ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s or motor neuron disease, is in fact quite common. There are approximately 140,000 new cases diagnosed worldwide each year, representing 384 new cases every day. While there are several approved drugs available, their success in treating ALS (slowing down or stopping the disease) has failed. As there are currently no effective treatments, it represents a huge unmet medical need.

“I am delighted to join PLL therapeutics as CMO. After conducting clinical trial research around the world for more than 20 years that includes a focus in neurology, my experience, expertise and motivation are an excellent fit with the company’s primary focus on neurodegenerative diseases, its lead candidate for treating ALS and its microbiota-gut-brain axis approach,” said Dr. Kechairi. “PLL Therapeutics combines both treatment and early disease diagnostics. This makes it a one-of-a-kind technology. I am excited to be part of this journey and contribute to the company’s success.”

Dr. Kechairi joins PLL Therapeutics from Syneos Health (previously INC Research and MDS Pharmaservices), a Contract Research Organization (CRO), where she worked for close to 18 years in progressively important advisory and international management roles, including serving as executive medical director of the CNS (Central Nervous System) unit between 2015 and 2022. Prior to that, Dr. Kechairi worked in drug safety with Omnicare Clinical Research, and at Solvay Pharma laboratories. Since obtaining an MD in 1998 from the National Institute of Higher Studies in Medical Sciences in Algiers, Algeria, she has achieved post-graduate degrees in Emergencies in Hospitals from the University Paris VII and in Medical English from the Dijon University of Medicine, France. Most recently, in 2023, Dr. Kechairi earned an MSc in Neurosciences with a focus on neurodegenerative diseases from Sorbonne University, with an internship with the Frontlab team at the Paris Brain Institute at La Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, France.

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