Peptilogics Strengthens Leadership Team with Executive Appointments

– Atul Deshpande, Ph.D., MBA, A-PMP, appointed Chief Strategy Officer at Peptilogics

– Nicholas Pachuda, DPM, promoted to Chief Operating Officer at Peptilogics

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Peptilogics, a clinical stage biotech company engineering peptide therapeutic solutions for patients with life-threatening diseases, today announced two executive appointments to strengthen and expand its leadership team. Atul Deshpande, Ph.D., MBA, A-PMP, has been appointed to Chief Strategy Officer and Nicholas Pachuda, DPM, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer.

“We continue to break new ground in peptide drug development, both with PLG0206, our first-in-class engineered peptide in clinical trials for the treatment of periprosthetic joint infection, and with Nautilus™, our deep learning-based computational platform for peptide drug discovery and design. The addition of Dr. Deshpande to our executive team and the promotion of Dr. Pachuda reflects the growth of our organization and the necessary leadership to advance our pipeline and technology initiatives,” said Jonathan Steckbeck, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Peptilogics. “Nick’s deep understanding of the unique opportunity for orthopedic therapeutics and Atul’s comprehensive experience in identifying and building new markets will be invaluable as we advance our programs through the clinic and toward market.”

Atul Deshpande, Ph.D., MBA, A-PMP, Chief Strategy Officer, Peptilogics

Dr. Deshpande will be responsible for the overall company strategy and business development at Peptilogics. He previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of IMMEDIATE Therapeutics, a clinical stage biotech company dedicated to developing safe and effective therapeutic solutions to reduce heart muscle damage and prevent cardiac arrest in Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS). Before joining IMMEDIATE Therapeutics, he was the Chief Strategy Officer and Head of US Operations for Harbour BioMed (HBM). Dr. Deshpande also served as the Global Operations Head for the Dupixent Franchise with Sanofi, where he led marketing, market access and supply chain operations to launch Dupixent in several markets across the world for Atopic Dermatitis and in major markets for Asthma. Previously, he led the operations for Sanofi’s Immunology R&D portfolio and was also responsible for new product planning and in-licensing evaluations.

“I am impressed by the work Peptilogics has already accomplished to accelerate peptide discovery at an unprecedented pace, combining biopharma expertise, deep learning and purpose-built super-computing,” said Dr. Deshpande. “Peptides offer a unique value proposition by allowing us to overcome many of the limitations of small and large molecules. I am excited to work with this team to engineer peptide therapeutics that address unmet medical and access needs across the world.”

Nicholas Pachuda, DPM, Chief Operating Officer, Peptilogics

In his new role, Dr. Pachuda will be responsible for refining and implementing the company’s strategy, operations, and long-range planning. In addition, he will continue to lead Peptilogics’ development functions, now to include regulatory and quality, while supporting business development and M&A.

Dr. Pachuda previously served as Senior Vice President of Portfolio and Development at Peptilogics. Dr. Pachuda joined Peptilogics in 2020, following 30 years of clinical and business experience, most recently at Johnson & Johnson, where he led External Innovation for the world’s largest orthopedic device franchise.

“At its core, life science innovation is only possible because of those who have dedicated their lives to improving treatment options for patients with challenging health issues,” said Dr. Pachuda. “I am passionate about developing teams that are willing to overcome challenges, forge new paths and take the risks required to impact real change, and I am grateful to be surrounded by a like-minded team at Peptilogics. I look forward to building upon the foundation of success we have created together.”

About Peptilogics

Peptilogics engineers peptide therapeutics to radically improve the treatment landscape for patients with life-threatening diseases and is currently advancing development of its lead investigational candidate PLG0206 for the treatment of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Through biological and pharmaceutical expertise, novel deep learning algorithms and purpose-built super-computing, Peptilogics is advancing an extensive therapeutic pipeline and accelerating discovery efforts at a pace and scale that was previously impossible. Peptilogics is backed by visionary investors in life science and technology including Peter Thiel, Presight Capital, Founders Fund, CARB-X and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. For more information about Peptilogics, visit www.peptilogics.com or follow the company on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About PLG0206

PLG0206 is an investigational, broad-spectrum, non-traditional antibiotic peptide therapeutic currently in Phase 1b clinical development for the treatment of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). PLG0206 has the potential to rapidly target bacteria and persistent pathogens that produce biofilm and evade conventional antibiotics. It was engineered with a unique mechanism of action to target and disrupt bacterial cell membranes, without causing lysis or targeting human cell membranes at therapeutic doses, thereby reducing the potential for inflammation and cytotoxicity. In both in vitro and non-clinical studies, PLG0206 has demonstrated potent activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative antibiotic resistant bacteria with a low risk of developing resistance to PLG0206. Development plans include franchise expansion to three indications across global markets. PLG0206 has been granted FDA Orphan Drug designation and Fast Track designation for the treatment of PJI and has also been designated as a Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP).

About Periprosthetic Joint Infection (PJI)

Joint replacement is the most common operative procedure¹ with seven million hip and knee replacements anticipated globally in 2030^2,3,4. PJI is the most common complication of joint replacement surgery and, if diagnosed with PJI, patients currently require an average of three surgeries to treat⁵. With up to 60%⁶ recurrence and five-year mortality of 25%⁷ associated with this condition, PJI is a catastrophic and growing problem with no effective therapeutic solution. The disease also leads to a substantial economic burden, where in the U.S. the average per patient cost is $500,000⁸ to treat PJI, making this a major challenge for hospitals and payers alike.

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3993098/
2. https://www.jrheum.org/content/46/9/1134
3. AJRR 2021 Annual Joint Registry Report of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
4. Research and Markets, 2020: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/
5. David Huang, Dana Parker, Nicholas Pachuda, Knee explant analysis (KnEA) using PLG0206 in periprosthetic joint infection (KnEA Study), ID Week 2021 Poster.
6. https://jbji.copernicus.org/articles/5/137/2020/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30224099/
8. What is the Long-term Economic Societal Effect of Periprosthetic Infections After THA? A Markov Analysis - PMC (nih.gov)

Liz Boten
Liz.Boten@evokegroup.com