PLL Therapeutics appoints Dr. Souad Kechairi as chief medical officer

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.

About PLL Therapeutics

PLL Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company developing a groundbreaking polypeptide delivery platform, is spearheading a unique early-diagnostics and therapeutic approach for treating the root cause of auto-immune and neurodegenerative diseases. PLL focuses on restoring gut permeability. Its initial indication is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a fatal motor neuron disease. The company’s therapy, PLL001, consists of several API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) molecules that, when combined, can heal a leaky gut. PLL’s ‘polytargeted’ drug therapy aims at destroying the initialization of the disease by combatting, within the gut, the multiple external and internal factors that drive the onset of ALS, while facilitating the development of cells in the microbiota to rebuild the gut barrier. PLL’s approach for restoring the microbiome derives from its patented poly-L-lysine technology, an effective drug carrier able to transport several molecules and release the drug at ‘point of use’ without side effects. The platform will play a key role in the early detection of auto-immune and neurogenerative diseases (ALS) and proliferative disorders (colon cancer) through specific biomarkers. 

Founded in 2019, PLL Therapeutics is led by a highly experienced management team. A Phase 1 clinical trial is in preparation, with a Phase 2b planned for 2025. The company is located near Bordeaux, France.

www.pll-therapeutics.com