Helus Pharma names Suresh Durgam to board pending approval
Dr. Durgam played a pivotal role in securing FDA approvals for CAPLYTA across schizophrenia, bipolar depression and adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder.
Sentiment and the balance of points
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Form Type
6-K
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Helus Pharma Inc. announced Suresh Durgam, M.D.’s appointment to its Board of Directors, subject to Cboe Canada approval. Dr. Durgam previously served on the company’s Scientific Advisory Board and has more than two decades of CNS drug-development experience across clinical development, medical affairs, regulatory strategy and pharmacovigilance. Helus Pharma is developing HLP003 in Phase 3 for adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder; HLP003 has FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation. Its HLP004 program is in Phase 2 for generalized anxiety disorder.
Key Figures
CNS drug-development experience: More than two decades
HLP003 clinical phase: Phase 3
HLP004 clinical phase: Phase 2
+2 more
5 metrics
CNS drug-development experience
More than two decades
Dr. Durgam’s experience
HLP003 clinical phase
Phase 3
Adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder
HLP004 clinical phase
Phase 2
Generalized anxiety disorder
Peer-reviewed publications
More than 50
Authored or co-authored by Dr. Durgam
Abstracts and posters
Over 200
Authored or co-authored by Dr. Durgam
Key Terms
serotonergic agonists, Breakthrough Therapy Designation, pharmacovigilance, adjunctive treatment, +1 more
5 terms
serotonergic agonists medical
"developing novel serotonergic agonists"
Serotonergic agonists are drugs or compounds that activate the brain’s serotonin receptors, acting like keys that turn on specific cellular “locks” involved in mood, sleep, pain, and other bodily functions. Investors watch them because their ability to treat common or hard-to-treat conditions can create large markets, raise regulatory and safety questions, and affect a drug maker’s revenue and valuation depending on clinical trial results, approvals, patents and side-effect profiles.
Breakthrough Therapy Designation regulatory
"received Breakthrough Therapy Designation"
A breakthrough therapy designation is a regulatory fast-track given to a drug or treatment that shows early signs of providing a major improvement over existing options for a serious condition. Think of it as a VIP lane that can speed up development and more intensive guidance from regulators, which matters to investors because it can shorten time to market, reduce development risk and potentially increase a company’s value — though it does not guarantee approval.
pharmacovigilance medical
"regulatory strategy and pharmacovigilance"
Pharmacovigilance is the process of monitoring and assessing the safety of medicines after they are on the market, ensuring that any side effects or risks are identified and managed. For investors, it matters because it helps ensure that pharmaceutical companies maintain safe products, which can influence a company’s reputation, regulatory approval, and financial stability over time.
adjunctive treatment medical
"for the adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder"
An adjunctive treatment is a therapy given in addition to a primary treatment to improve overall effectiveness or manage side effects—think of it as a booster or supportive sidekick to the main medicine. For investors, adjunctive therapies matter because they can expand a product’s market use, create additional revenue streams, affect regulatory pathways and clinical trial design, and influence competitive positioning and pricing in a therapeutic area.
neuroplasticity medical
"believed to promote neuroplasticity"
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change its wiring and strength of connections in response to experience, injury, or treatment—like a city that reroutes and upgrades roads to handle new traffic. For investors, it matters because therapies, devices, or programs that harness or enhance this adaptability can improve patient outcomes, extend treatment markets, and influence clinical trial success, regulatory chances, and long-term revenue potential.
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Who did Helus Pharma (HELP) appoint to its board?
Helus Pharma announced Suresh Durgam, M.D.’s appointment to its Board of Directors, subject to Cboe Canada approval. He previously served on the company’s Scientific Advisory Board and has more than two decades of CNS drug-development experience.
What FDA approvals did Suresh Durgam help secure?
Dr. Durgam played a pivotal role in securing FDA approvals for CAPLYTA (lumateperone) for schizophrenia, bipolar depression as a monotherapy and adjunctive therapy, and adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder. He most recently served as executive vice president and chief medical officer of Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of October, 2026.
Commission File Number: 001-40673
Helus Pharma Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
100 King Street West, Suite 5600, Toronto, Ontario, M5X 1C9
(Address of principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F □ Form 40-F ⊠
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
Exhibit 99.1 of this Form 6-K of Cybin Inc. (the "Company") is hereby incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement on Form F-10 (File No. 333-292294) of the Company, as amended or supplemented.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| HELUS PHARMA INC. | ||||||||||||||
| (Registrant) | ||||||||||||||
| Date: | October 15, 2026 | By: | /s/ Greg Cavers | |||||||||||
| Name: | Greg Cavers | |||||||||||||
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer | |||||||||||||
EXHIBIT INDEX
| 99.1 | News Release dated October 15, 2026 | ||||
Helus Pharma Appoints Dr. Suresh Durgam to Board of Directors
This news release constitutes a “designated news release” for the purpose of the Company’s prospectus supplement dated December 30, 2025, to its short form base shelf prospectus dated September 17, 2025, as amended on December 19, 2025.
NEW YORK & TORONTO – October 15, 2026 – Helus Pharma Inc. (Nasdaq: HELP) (Cboe CA: HELP) (the “Company” or “Helus Pharma”), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company committed to helping minds heal by developing novel serotonergic agonists (“NSAs”), today announced the appointment of Suresh Durgam, M.D., to its Board of Directors. Dr. Durgam previously served on the Company’s Scientific Advisory Board.
Dr. Durgam is a CNS drug-development executive with more than two decades of experience spanning clinical development, medical affairs, regulatory strategy and pharmacovigilance. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. (“Intra-Cellular”), where he provided strategic oversight across global clinical development and operations, data science, regulatory affairs, drug safety and medical affairs. Intra-Cellular was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in April 2025.
He played a pivotal role in securing FDA approvals for CAPLYTA® (lumateperone) across multiple indications, including schizophrenia, bipolar depression, as both a monotherapy and adjunctive therapy, and adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder. Earlier in his career, Dr. Durgam held senior clinical-development leadership roles at Allergan, Forest Laboratories and Solvay Pharmaceuticals, with responsibility for programs across major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and anxiety disorders. His development experience includes lumateperone, cariprazine, vilazodone, levomilnacipran and other CNS therapies. He has led or supported numerous interactions with regulatory authorities worldwide and authored or co-authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and over 200 abstracts and posters.
Dr. Durgam received his psychiatry residency training at Scott & White Memorial Hospital within the Texas A&M University System College of Medicine and earned his medical degree from Siddhartha Medical College in India. He is a member of the Scientific Committee of the International Society for CNS Clinical Trials and Methodology and received the 2026 International Society for CNS Drug Development Leadership Award.
“Suresh’s deep expertise in CNS clinical development, regulatory strategy and scientific leadership has already been valuable to us as a member of our Scientific Advisory Board, and we are delighted to welcome him to our Board,” said Michael Halstead, Chief Executive Officer of Helus Pharma. “As we execute against our upcoming clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones, his experience bringing CNS therapies through FDA approval will be invaluable as we advance our pipeline toward potential commercialization.”
“Helus Pharma is advancing a differentiated CNS pipeline with the potential to address significant unmet needs in mental health,” said Dr. Durgam. “I look forward to contributing to the Board’s oversight and strategy as Helus Pharma advances its programs through late-stage development.”
As a member of the Board of Directors, Dr. Durgam will contribute to corporate governance and long-term strategic oversight, helping ensure that patient outcomes, clinical rigor, and disciplined decision-making remain central to the Company’s growth strategy.
Dr. Durgam’s appointment to the Company’s Board of Directors is subject to approval of Cboe Canada.
About Helus Pharma
Helus Pharma Inc. is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company committed to helping minds heal by developing proprietary NSAs, synthetic molecules designed to activate serotonin pathways that are believed to promote neuroplasticity. The Company’s proprietary NSAs are intended to address the large unmet need for people who suffer from depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.
Helus Pharma is working to improve the treatment landscape through the introduction of NSAs that aim to provide durable improvements in mental health. Helus Pharma is currently developing HLP003, a proprietary NSA, in Phase 3 clinical development for the adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder that has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and HLP004, also a proprietary NSA in Phase 2 for generalized anxiety disorder. Additionally, Helus Pharma has an extensive research portfolio of investigational NSAs.
The Company operates in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. For Company updates and to learn more about Helus Pharma, visit www.helus.com or follow the team on X, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram. Helus PharmaTM is a trademark of Helus Pharma Corp.
Cautionary Notes and Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this news release relating to the Company are forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively,
“forward-looking statements”) and are prospective in nature. Forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and projections about future events and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “may”, “should”, “could”, “potential”, “possible”, “intend”, “estimate”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “believe” or “continue”, or the negative thereof or similar variations. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the anticipated contributions of Dr. Durgam to the Board of Directors; the approval of Dr. Durgam’s appointment by Cboe Canada; the Company’s execution against upcoming milestones, continued growth and potential commercialization of the Company’s programs; and the Company’s plans to engineer proprietary drug discovery platforms, innovative drug delivery systems, novel formulation approaches and treatment regimens for mental health conditions.
Any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: regulatory requirements and approvals; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; expectations regarding the size of the NSA market; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business objectives; plans for growth; political, social and environmental uncertainties; employee relations; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions in the markets where the Company operates; implications of disease outbreaks on the Company's operations; and the risk factors set out in each of the Company's management's discussion and analysis for the three months ended June 30, 2026, and the Company’s annual information form for the year ended March 31, 2026, which are available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.
The Company makes no medical, treatment or health benefit claims about the Company’s proposed products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Health Canada or other similar regulatory authorities have not evaluated claims regarding NSAs or HLP003, HLP004 and other programs of the Company. The efficacy of such products has not been confirmed by approved research. There is no assurance that the use of NSAs, HLP003, HLP004 or other programs of the Company can diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition. Rigorous scientific
research and clinical trials are needed. If Helus Pharma cannot obtain the approvals or research necessary to commercialize its business, it may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s performance and operations.
Neither Cboe Canada, nor the Nasdaq Global Market stock exchange, have approved or disapproved the contents of this news release and are not responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the contents herein.
Investor Contact:
Matthew Beck
astr partners
Managing Partner
(917) 415-1750
Matthew.beck@astrpartners.com
Paul Glavine
Chief Growth Officer
Helus Pharma
1-866-292-4601 x724
irteam@helus.com – or – media@helus.com
Media Contact:
Victoria Verdeja
RXMD
Public Relations Director
(212) 537-9495
vverdeja@rxmedyn.com