Helus Pharma Names Michael Cola CEO Ahead of Key HLP004 and HLP003 Milestones
Helus Pharma has appointed Michael Cola as CEO, effective immediately, bringing 30 years of neuroscience leadership at Shire, AstraZeneca and Avalo. He will guide the company through upcoming Phase 2 HLP004 and Phase 3 HLP003 topline results, and oversee a portfolio with more than 350 patent applications.
1. CEO Appointment
Helus Pharma appointed Michael Cola as CEO effective immediately. He brings over 30 years of CNS drug development, commercialization and capital formation experience from leadership roles at Shire, AstraZeneca PLC and Avalo Therapeutics, positioning him to drive the company’s transition to late-stage execution.
2. Clinical Pipeline Milestones
Under Cola’s leadership, Helus will advance HLP004 toward Phase 2 top-line data this quarter and HLP003 toward Phase 3 topline results in the fourth quarter of 2026, marking key inflection points that could drive valuation.
3. Intellectual Property Estate
The company has built a broad intellectual property estate with more than 350 patent applications filed globally and over 100 patents granted, supporting its multi-asset pipeline of novel serotonergic agonists targeting serious mental health disorders.