Achieve Life Sciences Announces Expansion of Manufacturing & Quality Operations Team and Granting of Inducement Award
Achieve Life Sciences (Nasdaq: ACHV) has expanded its Manufacturing and Quality Operations Team by hiring a Vice President of Process Control and Quality Assurance. The Board approved a stock option grant of 20,000 shares to this new employee, aimed at incentivizing their employment. These options, granted on March 8, 2022, will vest over four years. Achieve is focused on developing cytisinicline, a plant-based treatment for smoking cessation, with topline results from the Phase 3 ORCA-2 clinical trial expected in the first half of 2022, addressing a significant global health issue.
- Expansion of the Manufacturing and Quality Operations Team aims to enhance operational capabilities.
- Stock options granted could enhance employee retention and motivation.
- Cytisinicline's development targets a high-impact public health issue with potential market growth.
- Risks associated with the successful commercialization and regulatory approval of cytisinicline.
- Uncertainty regarding the efficacy and market acceptance of cytisinicline.
SEATTLE and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Achieve Life Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACHV), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company committed to the global development and commercialization of cytisinicline for smoking cessation and nicotine addiction, today announced that the Company has expanded its Manufacturing and Quality Operations Team with the hiring of a Vice President of Process Control and Quality Assurance.
Achieve’s Board of Directors approved the new employment inducement grant of stock options to purchase 20,000 shares of Achieve’s common stock with a grant date of March 8, 2022. Achieve granted the stock options as a material inducement to the new employee for entering into employment agreements with Achieve in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).
The stock options approved under the inducement grant were issued pursuant to a stock option agreement on terms substantially similar to Achieve’s 2018 Equity Incentive Plan and have a per share exercise equal to the closing price of Achieve’s common stock on March 8, 2022. The stock options vest over four years, with
About Achieve and Cytisinicline
Tobacco use is currently the leading cause of preventable death that is responsible for more than eight million deaths worldwide, and nearly half a million deaths in the U.S. annually.12 More than
Cytisinicline is a plant-based alkaloid with a high binding affinity to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. It is believed to aid in smoking cessation by interacting with nicotine receptors in the brain by reducing the severity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms and by reducing the reward and satisfaction associated with smoking.
Achieve recently announced completion of enrollment in the Phase 3 ORCA-2 clinical trial, evaluating cytisinicline as a treatment for combustible cigarette cessation. Topline results from the ORCA-2 trial are expected in the first half of 2022. For more information on Achieve Life Sciences and cytisinicline please visit www.achievelifesciences.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the timing and nature of cytisinicline clinical development activities, the potential market size and market acceptance for cytisinicline, the potential benefits of cytisinicline and the development and effectiveness of new treatments. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Achieve may not actually achieve its plans or product development goals in a timely manner, if at all, or otherwise carry out its intentions or meet its expectations or projections disclosed in these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, including, among others, the risk that cytisinicline may not demonstrate the hypothesized or expected benefits; the risk that Achieve may not be able to obtain additional financing to fund the development of cytisinicline; the risk that cytisinicline will not receive regulatory approval or be successfully commercialized; the risk that new developments in the smoking cessation landscape require changes in business strategy or clinical development plans; the risk that Achieve’s intellectual property may not be adequately protected; general business and economic conditions; risks related to the impact on our business of the Russian military action in Ukraine; and the other factors described in the risk factors set forth in Achieve’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including Achieve’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Achieve undertakes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained herein or to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof, other than as may be required by applicable law.
Investor Relations Contact
Rich Cockrell
achv@cg.capital
(404) 736-3838
Media Contact
Glenn Silver
Glenn.Silver@Finnpartners.com
(646) 871-8485
1 World Health Organization. WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2017.
2 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking - 50 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General, 2014.
FAQ
What recent announcement did Achieve Life Sciences (ACHV) make regarding its leadership?
How many stock options were granted to the new employee at Achieve Life Sciences?
What is the significance of cytisinicline in the context of Achieve Life Sciences (ACHV)?
When can we expect topline results from the ORCA-2 trial for cytisinicline?
