Cassava Sciences Boosts Medical Leadership with New CMO Appointment, Analysts Maintain Cautionary Price Target

Cassava Sciences has appointed Joseph Hulihan as Chief Medical Officer, boosting its leadership team. Analysts have set a consistent one-year price target of $2.00, representing a 14.53% potential downside from the current trading price. Current recommendations suggest holding, reflecting cautious optimism. Hulihan brings expertise from Marinus Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, focusing on simufilam for addressing Tuberous Sclerosis Complex-related epilepsy.

Cassava Sciences, Inc. (SAVA) has appointed Joseph Hulihan as its new Chief Medical Officer (CMO), bolstering its leadership team. Hulihan will devote approximately half of his professional time to Cassava, advising on the clinical development of simufilam, an investigational candidate for the treatment of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC)-related epilepsy [1].

Hulihan brings extensive experience in the development of therapeutics for neurological disorders. He previously served as CMO at Marinus Pharmaceuticals and held senior leadership roles in Medical Affairs at Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Prior to joining Cassava, Hulihan focused on the development of ganaxolone for seizure disorders including TSC-related epilepsy at Marinus, which was acquired by Immedica Pharma in March 2025 [1].

Analysts have set a consistent one-year price target of $2.00 for Cassava Sciences, representing a 14.53% potential downside from the current trading price. Current recommendations suggest holding, reflecting cautious optimism [1].

Hulihan's appointment coincides with positive preclinical results for simufilam. A study conducted in collaboration with the TSC Alliance using a well-accepted Tsc1-knockout mouse model demonstrated simufilam’s anti-seizure activity [2]. The first clinical study for simufilam in TSC-related epilepsy is expected to begin in H1 2026.

References:
[1] https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/cassava-sciences-appoints-joseph-hulihan-new-chief-medical-officer
[2] https://www.cassavasciences.com/news-releases/news-release-details/cassava-sciences-reports-positive-preclinical-study-evaluating