WAYNE, PA — Palvella Therapeutics (Nasdaq: PVLA) has appointed biotechnology executive Matt Pauls to its board of directors as the company prepares for a potential U.S. launch of its lead drug candidate and advances its pipeline of rare disease therapies.
Pauls brings more than 25 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, including leadership roles at several publicly traded rare disease companies.
He has served since 2020 as chairman and chief executive officer of Savara Inc. (Nasdaq: SVRA), a clinical-stage company focused on rare respiratory diseases.
Previously, Pauls was president and chief executive officer of Strongbridge Biopharma plc, where he oversaw the commercialization of multiple therapies and guided the company through its Nasdaq initial public offering before its acquisition by Xeris Pharmaceuticals.
He also served as chief commercial officer of Insmed Incorporated (Nasdaq: INSM) and held senior commercial roles at Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson and Shire Pharmaceuticals.
Pauls served on the board of Soleno Therapeutics from 2023 until its acquisition by Neurocrine Biosciences in 2026. During his tenure, Soleno secured approval and launched a treatment for hyperphagia associated with Prader-Willi syndrome.
He currently serves on the boards of Pelthos Therapeutics and Atsena Therapeutics.
The appointment comes as Palvella pursues regulatory approval for QTORIN rapamycin, an experimental treatment for microcystic lymphatic malformations, a condition for which there are no FDA-approved therapies.
Palvella recently initiated a rolling New Drug Application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is targeting a potential U.S. launch of QTORIN in the first half of 2027, if approved.
Board additions with commercial launch and rare disease expertise are common among biotechnology companies approaching potential product approvals, as companies shift from clinical development toward commercialization and investor-facing execution.
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