WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading developer of innovative products that rapidly and effectively penetrate the mucosal barrier to treat a wide range of debilitating diseases, announced today the appointment of Guillaume Pfefer, PhD as the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors. Dr. Pfefer brings to Kala more than 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry leading commercial, strategic, R&D, and industrial operations.
“Kala is advancing its proprietary platform to create new therapies that are uniquely capable of penetrating mucosal barriers, and we are delighted that Guillaume is joining the company at such an exciting time,” said Robert Tepper, MD, a Partner with Third Rock Ventures and a member of the Kala board of directors. “Guillaume is a proven industry leader with an impressive track record for managing high-performance teams and building significant company value. Under his leadership and with the expertise of the existing Kala team, the company has the people, technology, and strategy to aggressively advance its therapeutic development programs.”
Prior to joining Kala, Dr. Pfefer held a number of ascending leadership positions over a nine-year career at Sanofi Pasteur. He most recently served as General Manager of Sanofi Pasteur Mexico, one of the company’s largest worldwide affiliates. His previous positions include Vice President, Global Head of the Sanofi Pasteur’s Influenza and Pneumococcal Franchise and Global Head of Corporate Strategy. Prior to his tenure with Sanofi Pasteur, Dr. Pfefer held executive management positions with Aventis and Rhone-Poulenc. Dr. Pfefer holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the National School for Chemical Engineering (Nancy, France), a PhD in Materials Science from Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), France, and a MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
“I am excited to take on this leadership role at Kala at this pivotal point in the company’s evolution,” said Dr. Pfefer. “Kala has developed an innovative approach to transform treatments for a range of serious diseases. A strong team is in place and together we will further advance a pipeline of innovative drugs that have potential to offer superior efficacy and address unmet clinical needs for debilitating respiratory, ophthalmic, female reproductive tract and gastrointestinal diseases.”
About Kala Pharmaceuticals
Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is developing innovative products which are capable of penetrating mucosal barriers for the treatment of major diseases that affect the eyes, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and female reproductive system. Mucosal barriers have been largely overlooked as a limitation for drug efficacy. Using the company’s proprietary technology platform, Kala’s Mucosal-Penetrating Products (MPPs) have the unique ability to rapidly and uniformly coat and permeate mucosal tissues leading to highly effective treatments with improved side effect profiles. The company is leveraging its platform as an internal product engine for a wide spectrum of potential applications, including treatments for respiratory, ophthalmic, female reproductive tract and gastrointestinal diseases. Kala is also pursuing collaborations with partners to transform the therapeutic properties of marketed drugs and compounds in development. Kala was founded by leaders in the fields of nanomedicine and biopharmaceutical engineering, Dr. Justin Hanes of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Robert Langer of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Dr. Colin Gardner formerly of TransForm Pharmaceuticals/Johnson & Johnson and Merck. The company is backed by leading investors including Lux Capital, Polaris Venture Partners, and Third Rock Ventures. For more information, please visit www.kalarx.com.