Spruce Biosciences names new VP of clinical development

Spruce Biosciences (NASDAQ: SPRB) has appointed Jessica Cohen Pfeffer, M.D., as Vice President of Clinical Development, according to a press release from the South San Francisco-based company.

Dr. Cohen Pfeffer joins from BioMarin Pharmaceutical, where she spent more than a decade in clinical development, product portfolio development, and medical affairs. Most recently, she served as Executive Medical Director and clinical sciences lead for Brineura (cerliponase alfa), an enzyme replacement therapy for CLN2 disease, a rare pediatric neurodegenerative disorder. In that role, she supported regulatory milestones including an FDA supplemental biologics license application efficacy supplement approval, a European Medicines Agency Type II variation approval, and a UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency post-authorization measure approval.

She also held roles at BioMarin overseeing Palynziq (pegvaliase-pqpz) and the Enzyme Therapies Business Unit, and led North America Medical Affairs. Prior to her industry career, she was an attending physician in pediatrics and a faculty member at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

Adrian Quartel, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Spruce Biosciences, said Dr. Cohen Pfeffer's expertise will support the company's planned biologics license application submission for tralesinidase alfa enzyme replacement therapy in Sanfilippo Syndrome Type B and preparations for a potential commercial launch.

In connection with her appointment, Dr. Cohen Pfeffer was granted restricted stock units for 3,800 shares of Spruce's common stock on August 3, 2026. The RSUs will vest over four years, with 25% vesting annually on each anniversary of September 15, 2026, subject to continued service.

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