AL-S Pharma Appoints Harry Welten as Chief Executive Officer

  AL-S Pharma Appoints Harry Welten as Chief Executive Officer

Life sciences executive with more than 25 years of CFO and chairman experience to lead AP-101 into confirmatory Phase 3 trial

ZURICH, Switzerland – October 14, 2026 – AL-S Pharma AG (“AL-S Pharma” or “the Company”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing human antibodies that target misfolded proteins implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), today announced the appointment of Harry Welten as chief executive officer (CEO). Mr. Welten succeeds Michael Salzmann, Ph.D. The Company recently reported positive topline results from a Phase 2 study of its lead program AP-101, a human monoclonal antibody targeting misfolded superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1). AL-S Pharma is currently advancing AP-101 toward a confirmatory Phase 3 clinical trial in ALS which it aims to initiate in 2027.

“As AP-101 enters its confirmatory study, we are delighted to welcome Harry to AL-S Pharma. Harry has spent his career building life sciences companies, both as CFO and as chairman setting strategy at the board level, and has a proven record of securing the financing and partnerships needed to advance clinical programs. The board is confident that his strategic and financial leadership is what AL-S Pharma needs to take AP-101 through Phase 3 and toward regulatory approval, so that it can become available to people living with ALS,” said Hubert Birner, Ph.D., chairman of AL-S Pharma. “On behalf of the board, I would also like to thank Michael for his leadership. During his tenure, the Company advanced AP-101 from early development to a Phase 3-ready program.”

“AL-S Pharma has reached a pivotal stage in the development of AP-101, and I have great respect for what the team has built over the past decade. I look forward to working with the board, the leadership team, and our clinical and scientific partners to build on this strong foundation,” said Mr. Welten. “As AP-101 advances into Phase 3, my priorities will be to execute the Phase 3 program with rigor, on time and on budget, and to secure the financing and strategic partnerships required to bring AP-101 through regulatory approval to patients. Above all, I am committed to contributing to the well-being of people living with ALS and their families, who urgently need new treatment options.”

Mr. Welten is a board-level executive with more than 25 years of chief financial officer (CFO) and chairman experience in the life sciences industry across Europe and the United States. He has guided companies through growth, restructuring, financings, M&A, and commercialization, and has raised more than CHF 500 million through venture capital, IPOs, follow-on offerings, PIPE financings, and convertible instruments. He has led or supported more than eight M&A, public-market, and strategic transactions including the largest European IPO of 2005.

With more than 15 years of board experience, Mr. Welten served on 14 life sciences, medtech, and AI diagnostics boards in Switzerland, across Europe, and in the United States, seven of them as chairman, and has chaired both audit and finance committees and nomination and compensation committees. As chairman, he guided Biognosys, Aidence, and Proteomedix through to their sale or merger with Nasdaq-listed companies. He currently serves as chairman of b-rayZ AG and as a board member of Lumendi AG. Mr. Welton holds an MBA with honors from Columbia Business School, a degree in business administration and economics from the Zurich School of Management, as well as a federal degree in banking and finance from the KV Business School Zurich.

About AL-S Pharma AG

AL-S Pharma is a clinical-stage biotech company developing AP-101 for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Founded and co-owned by Neurimmune and TVM Capital Life Science, AL-S Pharma brings together a seasoned team of biotech and pharmaceutical leaders with expertise spanning drug discovery, translational research, and clinical development. AL-S Pharma is based in Zurich, Switzerland. For more information, visit www.al-spharma.com.

Media Contact(s)

AL-S Pharma
Kathy Vincent
Corporate Affairs
kathy.vincent@al-spharma.com

MC Services AG
Brittney Sojeva
al-spharma@mc-services.eu