Evecxia Therapeutics Announces CEO Transition

-Dr. Jacob Jacobsen Appointed to President & Chief Executive Officer-

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Evecxia Therapeutics, Inc., the leader in serotonin synthesis amplification to treat brain disorders, today announced that Dr. Jacob Jacobsen has been appointed President and CEO. Dr. Jacobsen succeeds Joseph Patti, Ph.D., who has stepped down from his role as President and CEO of Evecxia to pursue other interests.

“On behalf of Evecxia, we would like to thank Joe for his contributions to the Company, and we wish him best in his future endeavors,” said John Kaiser, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors. “We are excited to appoint Jacob as Evecxia’s next CEO to advance Evecxia’s pipeline of two Phase 2-ready drug candidates, EVX-101 and EVX-301, to help improve the lives of those suffering from disabling neuropsychatric disorders.”

Dr. Jacobsen is the inventor of the serotonin synthesis amplification therapeutic concept. Prior to joining Evecxia, he was a scientist at Duke University and Duke-National University Singapore, where he was the driver of a cross-disciplinary team executing seminal research on the serotonin synthesis amplification therapeutic concept. While a scientist at Duke University, he co-founded Evecxia with the late James B Duke Professor, Dr. Marc Caron. Dr. Jacobsen earned his Ph.D. in Neuropharmacology from the University of Copenhagen and has previously worked in drug discovery at Lundbeck and NeuroSearch, where he executed various drug discovery and target validation projects.

“I am excited to be leading Evecxia at this pivotal time in the Company’s history,” said Dr. Jacobsen. “Evecxia has made great strides to advance both EVX-101 and EVX-301 through Phase 1 trials, both of which produced excellent safety, acceptable tolerability, and evidence of brain serotonin target engagement. I look forward to leading the company as we advance EVX-101 and EVX-301 into Phase 2 development, striving to bring safer and potentially more effective treatments to patients suffering from disabling neuropsychiatric disorders.”

About Evecxia Therapeutics

Evecxia’s mission is to help patients suffering from disabling neuropsychiatric conditions for which current therapies are inadequate. Evecxia is the first company dedicated to realizing the therapeutic potential of amplifying serotonin synthesis to treat brain disorders. Serotonin synthesis amplification differs from targeting serotonin transporters (e.g., SSRIs) and receptors (e.g., psilocybin). Evecxia deploys 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), the natural serotonin precursor, delivered via proprietary drug delivery technologies to achieve sustained serotonin synthesis amplification. Evecxia has two Phase 2 clinical-stage drug candidates in development. EVX-101 is being developed as an adjunctive treatment for depression when first-line SSRI/SNRI antidepressants alone are inadequate. EVX-301 is being developed as a rescue therapy for acute suicidal crisis.

For additional information about Evecxia, please visit www.evecxia.com.