Halia Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing medicines to treat a broad range of diseases driven by chronic inflammation and neurodegeneration, appointed Lisa Shamon, vice president regulatory affairs and Xianne Penny, senior medical director.

Shamon has over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical biotechnology space, having led multiple programs through early- through late-stage development. She also has expertise in regulatory strategies and global interactions for oncology and other therapeutic areas, including rare diseases. Prior to joining Halia Therapeutics, Shamon held several regulatory affairs positions at various companies, including Alza Corporation, Exelixis, Inc., Aeglea BioTherapeutics, FivePrime Therapeutics, Inc., and Amgen, Inc.

Penny is an immuno-oncology specialist and has dedicated many years of her career to research in this field. She previously held the role of senior principal clinical immunologist at Amgen, with a focus on early and late phase clinical trials, including life cycle management.

“We are thrilled to be welcoming both Dr. Shamon and Dr. Penny as we expand Halia’s leadership team during an exciting time of growth for our company, as we prepare to initiate the second phase of clinical studies for our lead asset, HT-6184,” said David Bearss, CEO of Halia Therapeutics, “Their experience in regulatory affairs and vast scientific knowledge  will contribute significantly to help  drive Halia’s vision of developing therapeutics targeting the inflammasome across multiple disease states and indications.”

Shamon said, “I am honored to be a part of Halia’s innovative team that is generating breakthrough NLRP3-targeted therapeutics. The company’s therapy has the potential to improve patients’ lives in several therapeutic areas. I am – looking forward to helping drive this therapy forward and contribute in the effort to make it accessible to as many patients as possible.”





“With my background in immuno-oncology and having handled several investigational drugs in parallel, I am confident that my expertise honed from my time in academic and the pharmaceutical space will contribute to Halia’s efforts in treating multiple diseases by targeting the underlying source of inflammation,” said Penny.