KeifeRx Announces Expansion of Scientific Advisory Board

KeifeRx Strengthens Scientific Advisory Board with Leaders in Neurodegeneration to Support Drug Development and Strategic Partnering

MCLEAN, VA, UNITED STATES, June 10, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- KeifeRx Strengthens Scientific Advisory Board with Leaders in Neurodegeneration to Support Drug Development and Strategic Partnering

KeifeRx, a biopharmaceutical company developing brain-penetrant small molecules that restore autophagy and reduce neuroinflammation in patients living with neurodegenerative disease, today announced the expansion of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Joining SAB Chair Dr. Charbel Moussa, MBBS, PhD and existing members Dr. Fernando Pagan, MD and Dr. Yasar Yaghi, MD are four leading experts in neurodegenerative disease research and drug development: Dr. Marwan Sabbagh, MD, Dr. Jennifer Goldman MD, MS, FAAN, Dr. Lili Zhang, Ph.D., and Dr. Michael Ahlijanian, Ph.D.

These appointments enhance the company’s scientific depth as it prepares for first-in-human trials for its lead asset KFRX03, a best-in-class, small molecule to improve cognition in Alzheimer’s Disease and explores strategic partnership opportunities for its pipeline of drugs for indications including Parkinson’s Disease, Lewy Body Dementia and ALS.

“The expansion of our scientific advisory board with such accomplished scientific leaders in the neurodegenerative field reflects the strength of our platform and the urgency of our mission,” said Chris Hoyt, CEO of KeifeRx. “Their insights will be instrumental as we advance our lead program toward human trials and position the company for long-term value creation.”

New SAB Members:
● Dr. Marwan Sabbagh, MD FAAN is a renowned neurologist and Alzheimer’s researcher with over 300 peer-reviewed publications and experience leading more than 100 national and international clinical trials, including trials that led to FDA approval of current disease-modifying therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. Dr Sabbagh is a world opinion leader advising academia and industry in drug development for dementia and he currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions. He is the editor-in-chief of Neurology and Therapy. Dr. brings extensive clinical expertise in disease-modifying therapies for neurodegenerative conditions.

● Dr. Jennifer Goldman, MD, MS, FAAN is a Movement Disorders neurologist with certification in Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry. Dr. Goldman is an internationally recognized clinician, researcher, educator, and leader who has focused her career on the neuropsychiatric and other aspects of Parkinson’s disease, Lewy body dementia, and movement-cognitive disorders. She is currently the Secretary-Elect for the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society and the Chair of the Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA) Industry Advisory Council and past Chair of the LBDA Scientific Advisory Council.

● Dr. Lili Zhang, Ph.D. is an accomplished translational neuroscientist with 25+ years of experience in CNS drug development, IND-enabling studies, and strategic regulatory planning. Her contributions span multiple therapeutic programs in neurodegenerative diseases at biopharmaceutical companies including Novartis, Merck and emerging biotech companies.

● Dr. Michael Ahlijanian, Ph.D. is a veteran neuroscience drug developer with over 30 years of R&D experience, including senior leadership roles at Pfizer, and Bristol Myers Squibb and biotech companies such as Forma Therapeutics and Pinteon Therapeutics. He has overseen preclinical and early clinical development programs in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ALS.

“New members of the SAB provide tremendous and diverse pre-clinical and clinical leadership and experience to KeifeRx. Their expertise in early startups as well as late clinical development meets the needs of the company and is directly aligned with our pipeline development” said Charbel Moussa, Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board.

New members join KeifeRx’s existing bench of deep expertise:

● Dr. Charbel Moussa, MMBS, PhD is a co-founder of KeifeRx. Dr. Moussa is a professor of neurology at Georgetown University and a leading expert in neurodegenerative diseases currently directing the translational neurotherapeutics program at Georgetown University Medical Center. His translational research and clinical research and trial experience, particularly with kinase inhibitors, neuroinflammation and autophagy, are central to KeifeRx's scientific direction. Dr. Moussa has 20 years of academic and biomedical consulting experience in drug development including efficacy and IND-enabling studies, first-in-human clinical trials, drug repurposing, and late-stage clinical trial design and execution.

● Dr. Fernando L. Pagan, co-founder of KeifeRx, is a Professor and Vice Chairman of Neurology. As Director of the Movement Disorders Program and the Translational Neuroscience Program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, his clinical and research leadership focuses on innovative treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease.

● Dr. Yasar Yaghi is dedicated to treating patients with neurodegenerative conditions characterized by overlapping cognitive impairment and Parkinson's disease features. He directs the Parkinsonism and Dementia Clinic at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

About KeifeRx
KeifeRx is a privately held, biopharmaceutical company developing a differentiated pipeline of oral, brain-penetrant kinase inhibitors that restore autophagy and reduce neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases. The company’s lead candidate, KFRX03, is in development for treatment of dementia, with additional programs targeting Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other CNS disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Georgetown University owns several issued patents and pending patent applications on the underlying technology related to the use of kinase inhibitors for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases with KeifeRx co-founder Charbel Moussa, MBBS, Ph.D., named as one of three inventors. KeifeRx has an exclusive license to intellectual property from Georgetown University. KeifeRx is based in Washington, D.C. For more information on KeifeRx, please visit www.keiferx.com.

Investor Contact:

Chris Hoyt
KeifeRx
c.hoyt@keiferx.com