Vella Bioscience Appoints Industry Innovator Joy Allen-Altimare as President, Accelerating a New Era of Femtech, Hormonal Health, and Science-Led Sexual Wellness
NEW YORK, Jan. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Vella Bioscience, a pioneering FemTech company advancing clinically driven solutions in women's hormonal, sexual, and intimate health, today announced the appointment of Joy Allen-Altimare as President. A transformative leader spanning global health, consumer innovation, and longevity-focused brand building, Allen-Altimare will guide Vella through its next stage of scientific commercialization, retail expansion, and category-defining growth.
Since joining Vella in November 2025, Allen-Altimare has brought renewed clarity and momentum to the organization, strengthening operational systems, modernizing the commercial and retail strategy, and refining Vella's storytelling to better reflect women's lived experiences across arousal, pelvic pain, menopause, and the hormonal continuum. She has played a role in Vella's upcoming Vella Bioscience rebrand and our launch of Ebbtide, a breakthrough, science-backed vaginal suppository designed to relieve menstrual and pelvic pain, later this month.
"Joy's leadership has already reshaped Vella in meaningful and measurable ways," said Carolyn Wheeler, CEO and Co-Founder of Vella Bioscience. "She brings a rare combination of rigor, creativity, and empathy—grounding our brand in science while elevating our connection to the women we serve. Her background in health, CPG, and consumer trust-building makes her the ideal leader for this next chapter."
As President, Allen-Altimare will oversee brand strategy, marketing, commercialization, retail expansion, innovation pipeline execution, and Vella's differentiated science-first positioning, rooted in the company's proprietary research and the guidance of its Scientific Advisory Board.
"Joy has the opportunity to translate complex biology into meaningful solutions for women," said Dr. Harin Padma-Nathan, Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder. "She deeply understands how clinical excellence must connect with consumer need. As Vella advances its research in arousal biology, pelvic health, nitric oxide pathways, and women's hormonal wellness, her leadership ensures these innovations reach women in ways that are accessible, empowering, and impactful."
Allen-Altimare previously served as Global CMO of Saucony, Chief Revenue Officer at Havas and Chief Marketing Officer at Kindbody, where she helped expand access to fertility, hormonal health, and women's clinical services nationwide. Her 25-year career spans the intersection of health, wellness, behavior change, and consumer culture.
"It is an honor to lead Vella at a moment when women's health, especially sexual and hormonal wellness, is finally being recognized as essential—not optional," said Allen-Altimare. "Women deserve evidence-based answers, world-class products, and a brand that speaks to them with honesty and respect. Vella's science unlocks real solutions—across arousal, pain, pelvic tension, intimacy, and longevity—and we are building a future where women can understand their biology, advocate for their pleasure, and experience full-body wellbeing."
Vella will debut its strategic rebrand in January 2026, reflecting a bold, modern, clinically meaningful view of women's sexual vitality and hormonal wellness. This will be followed by the launch of Ebbtide later in the quarter, the re-introduction of all of our products in the first half of 2026, and continued expansion across DTC, retail and medical distribution channels.
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About Vella Bioscience, Inc.
Vella Bioscience, Inc. is a FemTech innovator dedicated to advancing women's sexual, hormonal, and intimate wellness through rigorous science and proprietary biotechnology. Built on scientific rigor and developed by the same team behind Viagra® and Cialis®, Vella addresses critical gaps in women's health research with products designed to empower women through education and evidence-based care. The company launched the category-first Vella Pleasure Serum, giving women unprecedented agency over their sexual experiences through a science-backed, hormone-free approach. To learn more, visit www.vellabio.com.
SOURCE Vella Bioscience
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