Kelly Huang Takes Charge at Elucid

Elucid has named Kelly Huang, Ph.D., as president and CEO.

Huang takes the helm at Elucid as the company prepares to commercialize its plaque analysis software, PlaqueIQ, the only U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared computed tomography angiography (CTA) algorithm that objectively quantifies and characterizes plaque validated against ground truth histology, the gold standard for characterization of coronary plaques.

“Kelly brings a history of successful commercialization and growth experience to Elucid at a critical time in the company’s progression to commercial operations,” Elucid Executive Board Chairman Scott Huennekens said. “His creativity and prowess in market planning, physician engagement, and sales and marketing will bolster the company’s go-to-market plans and help ensure a successful commercial launch and growth of Elucid’s suite of products in development.”
 
Huang has significant commercial experience and expertise in market development of impactful medical products. Previously he was chief operating officer (COO) for Cardea Bio, the world’s only mass producer of biocompatible semiconductors, which was acquired by Paragraf in 2023. Before that, he worked as COO and head of Nutra-Theraputic at L-Nutra Inc. Prior to L-Nutra, Huang was president, CEO, and board director at Obalon Therapeutics, a publicly traded medical device company. He also held senior leadership roles at Nestle/Galderma, Endo Pharmaceuticals, and Johnson & Johnson.

Huang earned a PhD in chemical engineering from Stanford University.
 
Huang’s appointment as CEO follows Elucid’s $80 million Series C fundraising round in Q4 2023, led by Elevage Medical Technologies. Elucid also moved into new headquarters earlier this summer as part of its ramp up for commercial launch, which includes hiring additional employees. As part of its launch plans, last year Elucid made other critical additions to its leadership team, naming Windi Hary as senior vice president (SVP) of regulatory affairs and quality management, and Andrew Miller as chief technology officer. Following Huang’s appointment, Blake Richards continues in a leadership role at Elucid as COO.
 
“I am energized to lead Elucid at such an exciting and important time, and I’m eager to help maximize the impact of its AI technology to improve patient care and make a positive impact in the field of cardiovascular disease management,” Huang stated. “The groundwork laid by the team to prepare for the company’s first commercial launch is both extensive and impressive. I am grateful to Blake for his dedication to Elucid and look forward to working alongside him.”
 
Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death and disability globally, largely driven by myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke caused by atherosclerosis (plaque build-up and rupture in the arteries).¹ Elucid offers the first and only histology-validated FDA-cleared software to non-invasively quantify and characterize non-calcified plaque and its components such as lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC), giving potential insights into high-risk vulnerable plaques, key drivers of risk of heart attack and stroke.² The company is also pursuing an indication for non-invasive measurement of fractional flow reserve (FFRCT), uniquely derived from its PlaqueIQ technology, to measure coronary blockages and the extent of ischemia.
 
Elucid is a Boston-based AI medical technology company developing technology to help physicians better understand the root cause of cardiovascular disease. Besides its flagship coronary plaque product, Elucid is also pursuing an indication for FFRCT, derived from its plaque algorithm, to help identify coronary blockages and the extent of ischemia non-invasively. PlaqueIQ equips physicians with critical information regarding the type and amount of plaque in arteries that can lead to heart attack and stroke. 

References 
¹ World Health Organization (WHO), Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) fact sheet. 2017 23, April 2020]; Available from: https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds).
² A. Hafiane, Vulnerable plaque, characteristics, detection, and potential therapies, J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 6 (3) (2019).