Athira Pharma Investors Get Lead Plaintiffs in CEO Research Suit

Athira Pharma Inc. investors who say it failed to disclose problems with its CEO’s past research secured co-lead plaintiffs and counsel for their would-be class suit in federal court in Washington state.

The biopharmaceutical company allegedly didn’t tell investors that several papers CEO Leen Kawas published while completing graduate coursework included altered images. Two individual investors will jointly guide the securities litigation, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington said.

Athira Pharma’s board placed Kawas on “temporary leave pending a review of actions stemming from doctoral research” she conducted, according to the company’s June 17 press ...