Dr. Janet Chollet
Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Procyrn LLC
Dr. Janet Chollet is a board-certified obstetrician–gynecologist, biotechnology co-founder, and translational medicine leader based in Boston. As the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Procyrn LLC, she leads efforts to develop sustained-release hydrogel immune therapeutics and reformulated antivirals focused on maternal–fetal health, neuroinflammation, and HPV-related cervical disease. With more than three decades of clinical and academic experience, she has practiced at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh. She holds three U.S. patents in women’s health drug delivery and has contributed to multiple preclinical and early-stage clinical programs. Throughout her career, she has emphasized the importance of linking clinical understanding with translational development to address unmet medical needs in women’s health.
Early Education and Medical Foundation
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1986. Her interest in the relationship between scientific research and patient outcomes led her to pursue a Doctor of Medicine degree at New York Medical College, where she graduated in 1991.
She then entered the Obstetrics and Gynecology residency program at LAC/USC Women’s Hospital, completing her training from 1991 to 1995. These years played a key role in shaping her dedication to women’s health. Her early experiences helped define her long-term interest in advancing therapeutic approaches for women, children, and families through both clinical work and translational research.
Clinical and Academic Practice
Following residency, she joined Magee-Women’s Hospital, affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh, as a staff physician and instructor. From 2000 to 2007, Janet Chollet balanced providing patient care with teaching responsibilities, gaining a deeper understanding of how clinical observations influence research and therapeutic development. These years helped her refine her view of translational medicine as a field that relies on continuous collaboration between clinical insight and scientific exploration.
In 2007, she joined Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, where she continues to practice. Her role includes clinical care, academic training, and involvement in research initiatives that support innovation in women’s health. Her ongoing clinical work remains closely aligned with her translational focus, ensuring that patient needs inform the development of emerging therapies.
Pear Tree Pharmaceuticals and Foundational IP
In 2005, she co-founded Pear Tree Pharmaceuticals, a company dedicated to site-targeted therapies for women’s health, particularly those relevant for breast cancer survivors and women with vulvovaginal atrophy. Serving as Vice President of Clinical Affairs until 2018, she contributed to the advancement of vaginal drug delivery systems designed to reduce systemic exposure while managing localized symptoms in women who could not use hormone-based treatments.
Her work resulted in three U.S. patents in topical and vaginal drug delivery:
US 9,693,953 — Method of treating atrophic vaginitis
US 9,675,546 — Method of treating atrophic vaginitis with triphenylethylene derivatives
US 9,480,662 — Compositions and methods for topical tamoxifen citrate therapy
These contributions were important to the company’s merger with Dare Bioscience, a publicly traded pharmaceutical company focused on novel women’s health therapies. Janet Chollet MD's experience at Pear Tree reinforced her interest in targeted drug delivery and its ability to meet specific clinical needs.
Founding Procyrn LLC
In 2023, she co-founded Procyrn LLC, a Boston-based biotechnology company working on sustained-release biologics and reformulated antivirals. As Chief Medical Officer, she oversees translational strategy, clinical planning, and regulatory preparation. Procyrn aims to apply drug delivery principles to conditions in which current treatment options remain limited, including maternal–fetal health, neuroinflammation, and HPV-driven cervical disease. Her leadership supports a model of development grounded in scientific rigor and guided by clinical relevance.
Therapeutic Programs Under Her Leadership
At Procyrn, she directs three main therapeutic programs:
Maternal–Fetal Health (PC101): This is Procyrn’s most advanced program, focused on preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome, two hypertensive disorders of pregnancy that often require preterm delivery to protect maternal and fetal safety. These early deliveries contribute significantly to medical and societal costs. PC101 is a sustained-release hydrogel biologic intended to address the disease process and stabilize maternal–fetal health. After successful preclinical validation, the program is progressing into the next stages of development with academic and research partners. The goal is to provide sustained, pregnancy-compatible therapeutic exposure that may help prolong gestation and improve outcomes for mothers and infants.
Neuroinflammation and ALS: Her experience with immune-modulating therapeutics led to an opportunity to apply these principles to neurodegenerative disease. This program targets C9orf72-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the most common genetic form of ALS. Inflammatory pathways contribute significantly to disease progression, and Janet Chollet MD is working with research partners to develop an immune-modulating strategy aimed at these mechanisms. This initiative expands her translational work beyond women’s health while maintaining a focus on rigorous preclinical validation.
HPV-Driven Cervical Dysplasia: Procyrn’s HPV program centers on a non-hormonal, small-molecule therapeutic targeting stress-survival pathways in HPV-transformed epithelial cells. In high-grade cervical dysplasia, viral proteins alter cell survival mechanisms, creating a dependence on specific PKC isoforms. The company’s candidate selectively modulates these pathways to induce apoptosis in dysplastic cells while sparing healthy cervical tissue. This targeted approach provides an alternative to conventional hormonal or antiviral methods.
An exploratory program that has triggered much debate:
Autism Prevention Through Maternal–Fetal Immune Therapeutics (Exploratory):
She is exploring a concept aimed at reducing the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism by stabilizing the maternal–fetal immune environment. Research suggests that maternal immune activation and placental inflammation may influence fetal brain development. Preclinical studies, including those involving Zika virus models, indicate that reducing neuroinflammation and preserving placental integrity may support healthier neurodevelopmental outcomes. Building on these findings, she is evaluating pregnancy-compatible immune therapeutics designed to reinforce maternal–fetal stability. Although in an early exploratory stage, this concept reflects her broader interest in preventive strategies within maternal–fetal health.
Regulatory and Development Expertise
Her leadership extends into regulatory planning and program execution. Janet Chollet designs IND-enabling pathways, aligns development milestones with funding structures, and emphasizes clear go/no-go criteria to support sound decision-making. Her focus on reproducible preclinical work reinforces scientific reliability and supports stronger development outcomes.
Creative Work and Narrative Perspective
Earlier in her career, she co-wrote the Emmy-winning ER episode “Love’s Labor Lost,” which later earned the series five Emmy Awards. Although she was offered a staff writing position, she chose to continue her medical career, reflecting her commitment to clinical practice while maintaining an interest in creative storytelling.
Personal Interests and Balance
Outside her professional work, she values family, wellness, and creative engagement. She maintains a regular exercise and strength-training routine, enjoys spending time with family and holidays, and appreciates the companionship of pets. She also finds balance in golf, valuing the combination of focus, routine, and clear outcomes.
Her interests include travel, discovery, and writing. Dr. Janet Chollet has recently explored the use of artificial intelligence in clinical workflows and translational development, examining how technology may support more efficient progress from concept to patient care. These personal and professional interests continue to shape her broader vision.