On January 20, 2026, Bernard Coulie, who serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Pliant Therapeutics, completed the sale of 89,375 shares of the company's common stock. This transaction was documented in a Form 4 filing submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The shares were divested at an average price of $1.28 each, resulting in an approximate total value of $114,400.
The sale price cited represents the weighted average derived from several transactions conducted by a broker, with prices fluctuating between $1.245 and $1.33 per share. The primary purpose of the sale was to satisfy withholding tax obligations related to the vesting of restricted stock units granted to a specific group of employees, including Mr. Coulie himself.
After concluding this transaction, Coulie maintains direct ownership of 505,601 shares of Pliant Therapeutics, encompassing 1,959 shares obtained through participation in the company's Employee Stock Purchase program. Additionally, he holds an indirect ownership stake of 409,317 shares via The Coulie/Leyman Family Trust, a trust managed jointly by Coulie and his spouse acting as trustees.
In parallel with this insider transaction, Pliant Therapeutics disclosed positive interim findings from its ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating PLN-101095, a candidate drug for cancer treatment. The trial, assessing the combination of PLN-101095 with pembrolizumab, has revealed one confirmed complete response and three partial responses among patients battling advanced solid tumors that had shown resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies. Responders represented a range of cancer types, including cholangiocarcinoma and melanoma.
The company has also announced recent changes in its leadership team. Minnie Kuo has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer, transitioning from her earlier role as Chief Development Officer. Meanwhile, Dr. Éric Lefebvre, Pliant Therapeutics' Chief Medical Officer, will be stepping down to assume a consulting role. The company further reported the resignation of Hans Hull, its former Chief Business Officer, clarifying publicly that his departure did not stem from discord with corporate management.
These concurrent developments, spanning executive transitions and clinical progress, underscore a phase of evolution within Pliant Therapeutics, reflecting broader dynamics in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors.