Intranasal drug developer Vistagen has announced the appointment of Elissa Cote as Chief Corporate Development Officer. According to her LinkedIn page, Cote served as a strategic advisor to Narcan nasal spray developer Emergent Biosolutions from January 2023 to December 2024. She previously held executive marketing positions at Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, and MedImmune.
Vistagen’s lead candidate, PH94B fasedienol nasal spray is currently in Phase 3 development for the treatment of social anxiety disorder, with PALISADE-3 and PALISADE-4 studies ongoing. Earlier this year, Vistagen announced that it had initiated a Phase 2 repeat dose study of fasedienol nasal spray. The company’s pipeline also includes PH80 epoxyestrenolone nasal spray for the treatment of hot flashes and PH10 itruvone nasal spray for the treatment of depression.
Vistagen President and CEO Shawn Singh commented, “Elissa is a highly respected executive with a strong track record of driving growth, building partnerships, and developing commercial strategies for biotech and pharmaceutical companies. We’re excited to welcome Elissa at such a pivotal moment for our business. Her deep strategic and transactional expertise strengthen our team, and she will play a key leadership role as we continue to advance our programs.”
Cote said, “I am thrilled to join Vistagen as the company advances with clarity and purpose into its next phase of strategic growth. It is a privilege to contribute to the advancement of this differentiated portfolio and support the delivery of innovative therapies to patients in need.”
Read the Vistagen press release
