Prilenia Appoints Rick Munschauer Chief Medical Officer Ahead of Phase 3 Trials

Prilenia Therapeutics has appointed veteran neurologist and biopharmaceutical executive Frederick 'Rick' E. Munschauer III, MD, MSc, FAAN, as chief medical officer as the company advances two registrational Phase 3 studies in Huntington's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Munschauer joins Prilenia as the company focuses on execution of PRECISE-HD and PREVAiLS, its pivotal studies evaluating pridopidine in Huntington's disease, or HD, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, respectively. His responsibilities will center on clinical development and generating the evidence required to support the company's regulatory strategy. 'Rick is a renowned neurologist and seasoned pharmaceutical executive who has spent his entire career at the front line of neurodegenerative disease,' Prilenia CEO Dr. Michael R. Hayden said. Hayden pointed to Munschauer's experience designing and executing clinical programs from first-in-human studies through regulatory approval, as well as his background overseeing medical affairs and interactions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Munschauer most recently served as chief medical officer of Emalex Biosciences, where he led clinical development, clinical operations, pharmacovigilance, biostatistics and medical affairs. His work included development of ecopipam through the company's FDA New Drug Application submission for pediatric Tourette syndrome in June 2026. He previously served as CMO of MedDay Pharmaceuticals and Marathon Pharmaceuticals. At those companies, he led pre- and post-approval strategies in multiple sclerosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy and served as medical lead in FDA interactions. Earlier, Munschauer held senior positions at Biogen, including vice president and chief medical advisor and vice president and global head of medical affairs. He led a global organization of more than 250 people and directed integrated medical launches for the multiple sclerosis therapies Tecfidera and Plegridy. He also held senior U.S. medical affairs leadership positions at EMD Serono. Munschauer's pharmaceutical career followed more than two decades in academic medicine at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He served as the Irvin and Rosemary Smith Professor and chair of neurology and chief of the Jacobs Neurological Institute. During his academic career, Munschauer held the original Investigational New Drug application for interferon beta-1a in multiple sclerosis and conducted the NIH-funded pivotal study that first demonstrated a slowing of disability progression, work that contributed to the approval of Avonex. He has served as principal or co-principal investigator on more than 50 Phase 1 through Phase 4 clinical trials involving multiple sclerosis and cerebrovascular disease and has authored more than 90 peer-reviewed publications. At Prilenia, Munschauer will apply that clinical and regulatory experience to a development program centered on pridopidine and two neurological diseases with substantial unmet treatment needs. 'What drew me here is the clarity of the mission and the pridopidine story, which has already garnered compelling data,' Munschauer said. 'My focus will be on execution — running our pivotal HD and ALS studies to the highest standard, generating the evidence regulators need, and staying close to the clinical and patient communities.' Munschauer earned his MD, CM from McGill University and an MSc in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also holds a BS in electrical and mechanical engineering from Duke University. He completed his neurology residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and a fellowship in neurologic and neurosurgical intensive care at The National Hospital for Nervous Diseases in London. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and has served on both the National Board of Directors and National Medical Advisory Board of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Prilenia is a privately held biopharmaceutical company incorporated in the Netherlands and backed by life sciences investors. Its development strategy is focused on Huntington's disease, ALS and other neurodegenerative disorders. Munschauer's appointment adds clinical development and regulatory leadership as Prilenia moves deeper into late-stage development, with execution of PRECISE-HD and PREVAiLS now among the company's central priorities.