Internationally recognized leaders in inflammatory bowel disease bring deep expertise spanning ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and late-stage clinical trial design

Appointments strengthen Palisade Bio’s clinical strategy as PALI-2108 advances toward Phase 2 development in ulcerative colitis and fibrostenotic Crohn’s disease, with a Phase 2 UC IND submission planned for the first half of 2026

Carlsbad, CA, Jan. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Palisade Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALI) (“Palisade” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation, once-daily, oral PDE4 inhibitor prodrugs designed for targeted delivery to the terminal ileum and colon, today announced the appointment of Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, MD, PhD and David T. Rubin, MD, two internationally recognized leaders in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), to its Clinical Advisory Board (“CAB”).

“Professors Peyrin-Biroulet and Rubin are among the most influential voices in modern IBD medicine, each bringing extraordinary clinical insight, regulatory experience and scientific rigor to our Clinical Advisory Board,” said JD Finley, Chief Executive Officer of Palisade Bio. “Their complementary expertise across disease modification, fibrosis, treat-to-target strategies and trial execution will be invaluable as we advance PALI-2108 toward the clinic. Together with our existing advisors, their guidance will help position Palisade at the forefront of next-generation IBD therapeutics.”


Dr. Peyrin-Biroulet is a Professor of Gastroenterology. He is a globally respected authority in Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, intestinal fibrosis and treat-to-target strategies, and has authored more than 1200 peer-reviewed publications. Professor Peyrin-Biroulet was the President of the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organization (ECCO) and Scientific Secretary of the International Organization for the Study of IBD (IOIBD), the two leading international organizations in IBD. Between 2015 and 2023, he was the President of the Groupe d'Etude Thérapeutique des Affections Inflammatoires du Tube Digestif (GETAID), a unique national network of French IBD centers. His work has been instrumental in shaping contemporary clinical endpoints, disease-modification strategies and regulatory frameworks for IBD drug development.

Dr. Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, commented, “Palisade Bio’s focus on intestinal fibrosis and precision targeting of PDE4 biology addresses a major unmet need in IBD, particularly in fibrostenotic Crohn’s disease where therapeutic options remain limited. I look forward to contributing my experience in disease modification and clinical development to help advance this promising program.”


Dr. Rubin is the Joseph B. Kirsner Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the University of Chicago. He also serves as Chair of the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IOIBD) and Director of the University of Chicago Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center. He is a globally recognized expert in ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, clinical trial design and real-world outcomes research. Dr. Rubin has played a central role in the development and evaluation of numerous approved IBD therapies and previously served as Chair of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s National Scientific Advisory Committee. He is widely regarded for his ability to bridge clinical research, practice guidelines, and translational science to improve patient outcomes.

“I am pleased to join Palisade Bio’s Clinical Advisory Board at an important stage in the Company’s growth. The development of therapies that can meaningfully alter disease courses in ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease is critically important. I look forward to working with the Palisade team to help guide clinical strategy and ensure rigorous trial design as PALI-2108 progresses,” commented Dr. Rubin.

About PALI-2108

PALI-2108 is a once-daily, oral prodrug designed for targeted delivery of PDE4 inhibition to the terminal ileum and colon through local bacterial bioactivation. The prodrug is pharmacologically inactive until it reaches the lower intestine, where bacterial enzymes convert it into the active PDE4 inhibitor at sites of inflammation and fibrosis. This targeted activation strategy prevents absorption in the upper gut, enables sustained local exposure with controlled systemic distribution, and is engineered to reduce peak plasma levels, thereby improving the overall therapeutic index and reducing tolerability limitations such as diarrhea, nausea and headache that have constrained systemic PDE4 inhibitors.

About Palisade Bio

Palisade Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALI) (“Palisade” or the “Company”) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing a next generation oral PDE4 inhibitor prodrugs designed to improve pharmacology, tolerability and convenience for patients with inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. Through its differentiated prodrug platform and precision pharmacology strategy, Palisade Bio is committed to transforming proven PDE4 biology into better, safer oral therapies for patients living with chronic inflammatory and fibrotic diseases.

The Company’s lead program, PALI-2108, is a once-daily oral PDE4 inhibitor prodrug designed to be selectively bioactivated in the ileum and colon, initiating targeted PDE4 inhibition at sites of disease while enabling systemic distribution of the active drug. In a recently reported Phase 1b trial, PALI-2108 achieved a 100% clinical response in the UC cohort, with no serious adverse events, favorable tolerability and pharmacokinetics consistent with localized activation in the lower intestine, low systemic exposure, and controlled release within the GI tract.

Palisade Bio is now advancing towards a Phase 2 clinical study in UC designed to evaluate clinical remission, response and pharmacodynamic biomarkers over 12 weeks, with an extension phase assessing maintenance of remission. In addition, the Company is completing early studies in FSCD to further characterize PALI-2108’s safety, pharmacology and potential therapeutic benefit across inflammatory bowel disease indications. For more information, please go to www.palisadebio.com .

Forward Looking Statements

Any statements contained in this communication that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include but are not limited to: statements regarding the timing and results of clinical trials, the potential mechanisms of action and therapeutic benefits of PALI-2108, and plans for regulatory submissions. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in the Company’s forward-looking statements include, among others, the timing of enrollment, commencement and completion of the Company’s clinical trials; the Company’s reliance on PALI-2108, and its early stage of clinical development; the risk that prior results, such as signals of safety, activity, dosing or durability of effect, observed from preclinical or clinical trials, will not be replicated or will not continue in ongoing or future studies or clinical trials involving the Company’s product candidates in clinical trials focused on the same or different indications; and other factors that are described in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 24, 2025, and the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or other SEC filings that are filed thereafter. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based.

Investor Relations Contact

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Jenene Thomas
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