JUPITER, Fla. & DURHAM, N.C.– Ligand Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: LGND) today announced the launch of Pelthos Therapeutics (Pelthos), a biopharmaceutical company, and the appointment of seasoned industry executive Scott Plesha to the role of Chief Executive Officer.
Pelthos is committed to commercializing innovative, safe, and efficacious therapeutic products to help patients impacted by diseases with limited treatment options. The company’s lead product is ZELSUVMI™ (berdazimer) topical gel, 10.3%, for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum (molluscum) in adults and pediatric patients one year of age and older.1 ZELSUVMI has received a Novel Drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is the first and only approved topical prescription medication that can be applied by patients, parents, or caregivers at home, outside of a physician’s office, or other medical setting to treat this highly contagious viral skin infection. The product was developed using Pelthos’ proprietary nitric oxide-based technology platform, NITRICIL™. ZELSUVMI is expected to be available in the United States in late 2024.
Ligand acquired the rights to ZELSUVMI and all the assets related to the NITRICIL technology platform from Novan, Inc. in September 2023.
“ZELSUVMI is a highly differentiated product that we believe will bring significant improvements to the lives of patients living with tremendous unmet needs,” said Todd Davis, CEO of Ligand. “We are excited for the launch of Pelthos, the commercialization of ZELSUVMI, and the advancement of the company under Scott’s leadership.”
Mr. Plesha brings to his role more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including two decades building and leading specialty pharmaceutical commercial organizations. Prior to joining Pelthos, Mr. Plesha was President and Chief Commercial Officer at BioDelivery Sciences (BDSI) until it was acquired by Collegium Pharmaceutical in 2022. Under Mr. Plesha’s leadership, BDSI sales grew from $5 million to $160 million. He previously served as Senior Vice President of Gastrointestinal Sales at Salix Pharmaceuticals. During his fifteen-year tenure at Salix, Mr. Plesha led a nationwide salesforce that grew product sales to more than $1.5 billion annually. Before Salix, Mr. Plesha was a Regional Sales Manager for Oclassen Dermatologics, a division of Watson Laboratories, and in commercial roles of increasing responsibility at Solvay Pharmaceuticals.
“I am excited to assume the leadership of Pelthos as we prepare to offer the first at-home therapy for the many patients who are completely untreated today or who need a more suitable option,” said Scott Plesha. “This is a company that has several meaningful milestones on the horizon and a team that is ready to execute to meet the needs of patients.”
Ligand intends to commercialize ZELSUVMI in partnership with a capital provider and/or strategic partner. This is consistent with Ligand’s strategy to reposition and maximize the value of highly differentiated and promising pharmaceutical assets by combining premier management teams and outside funding sources in return for significant equity and royalty rights in the newly formed entities. To date, Ligand has created three companies utilizing this strategy: Viking Therapeutics, Primrose Bio, and OmniAb®.
Pelthos is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ligand.
