Vistagen Appoints Neuroscience Drug Development Veteran Dr. Douglas J. Williamson To Board Of Directors

Vistagen, a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative intranasal neuroscience therapies known as pherines, has appointed Douglas J. Williamson, MD, to its Board of Directors. Dr. Williamson brings decades of experience in neuroscience drug development, having led programs from early clinical research through regulatory approval and commercialization. His appointment is expected to strengthen Vistagen's leadership as the company continues advancing its pipeline of treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Vistagen President and Chief Executive Officer Shawn Singh welcomed Dr. Williamson to the Board, saying his extensive experience in bringing therapies from development to patients will be highly valuable for the company. Singh noted that Dr. Williamson's expertise will support Vistagen's neuroscience programs while also providing strategic guidance as the company explores future growth opportunities and works to address significant unmet medical needs.

Dr. Williamson currently serves as a CNS Drug Development Consultant and is the founder of Destiny Biopharm Consulting. Most recently, he was Chief Medical Officer at QurAlis Corporation. Before that, he served as Executive Vice President and Head of Research and Development at Acadia Pharmaceuticals, where he led the company's neuroscience research and development strategy and was a member of its Executive Management Committee.

Earlier in his career, Dr. Williamson held the role of Chief Medical Officer at Avadel Pharmaceuticals and served in several senior leadership positions at H. Lundbeck A/S, including Senior Vice President, Head of U.S. Research and Development, and Deputy Global Chief Medical Officer. He also worked as Vice President and Global Head of Therapeutic Area Leadership at Parexel International, contributing to the development and advancement of numerous pharmaceutical programs.

During his time at Eli Lilly and Company, Dr. Williamson played an important role in the development and regulatory approval of several neuropsychiatric medicines. His work included contributions to Symbyax for treatment-resistant depression and bipolar depression, Zyprexa for bipolar maintenance, and support for the commercial development of Cymbalta. His broad experience covers every stage of drug development, from clinical research and regulatory strategy to product commercialization.

In addition to his executive leadership experience, Dr. Williamson previously served on the Board of Bright Minds Biosciences (Nasdaq: DRUG), where he was a member of the Compensation, Audit, Nomination, and Corporate Governance Committees. He earned his medical degree from the University of Edinburgh. Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Williamson said he is honored to join Vistagen's Board and looks forward to supporting the company's mission of developing innovative treatments for patients with neurological and psychiatric conditions while helping advance its research, clinical development, and long-term growth strategy.