BioHarvest Sciences Appoints New Head of Business Development for its CDMO Division
Rhea-AI Summary
BioHarvest Sciences (NASDAQ: BHST) appointed Nedira Salzman-Frenkel as Vice President of Business Development for its CDMO division. She will source and manage contracts across pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, nutrition, and cosmetic markets, supporting revenue targets and the planned launch of a new facility next year.
Salzman-Frenkel previously held senior roles in biotech, CRO, and pharma-focused businesses, including securing about $30 million in CRO contracts and leading a binding licensing term sheet with a top global pharmaceutical company for Phase 3 clinical development.
Positive
- Appoints experienced VP Business Development to lead CDMO growth strategy
- New hire previously secured approximately $30 million in CRO contracts
- Executive led a binding licensing term sheet for Phase 3 drug development
- Role tied to delivering revenue targets and new facility launch next year
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction – BHST
In the May 14 session, BHST gained 3.87%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 12 | CDMO contract win | Positive | +4.1% | Signed $1.2M Stage 2 CDMO contract for rare fragrance development. |
| Apr 30 | Earnings date notice | Neutral | -0.7% | Announced timing and webcast details for Q1 2026 financial results. |
| Apr 29 | Leadership transition | Neutral | -1.2% | CEO role shifted to Dr. Rakib, aligning leadership with CDMO and D2C focus. |
| Mar 31 | Earnings and guidance | Positive | -0.7% | Reported FY2025 revenue growth to $34.5M with 2026 revenue guidance and CDMO outlook. |
| Mar 31 | CDMO milestone | Positive | +1.6% | Completed Stage 1 stable cell culture for rare fragrance plant with 20% ownership. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
BHST has generally reacted positively to CDMO contract wins, while earnings and broader strategic updates have sometimes seen mild selling or muted responses despite growth metrics.
Over the last six months, BHST has highlighted CDMO progress and financial growth. A $1.2M Stage 2 fragrance CDMO contract on May 12, 2026 and earlier Stage 1 success in a rare fragrance program both saw positive price reactions. Leadership changes on Apr 29, 2026 and earnings-related updates on Mar 31, 2026 coincided with small declines despite reporting FY2025 revenue of $34.5M and solid growth. Today’s business development hire fits the ongoing push to scale the CDMO franchise and monetize recent platform wins.
Key Terms
cdmo technical
contract development and manufacturing organization technical
cro technical
phase 3 clinical development medical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Business development appointment is aligned with securing long-term customers for development and manufacturing partnerships
Vancouver, British Columbia and Rehovot, Israel--(Newsfile Corp. - May 13, 2026) - BioHarvest Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: BHST) (FSE: 8MV0) ("BioHarvest" or the "Company"), a leader in Botanical Synthesis technology and sustainable plant-based molecule development, today announced the appointment of Nedira Salzman-Frenkel to Vice President of Business Development. Ms. Salzman-Frenkel's role will be instrumental for sourcing and managing new prospective contracts across the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, nutrition, and cosmetic areas for BioHarvest's contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) business.
Photo: Ms. Nedira Salzman-Frenkel
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"We are pleased to welcome Nedira to our team to lead business development for BioHarvest's CDMO, aligned with our strategy of building long-term partnerships with customers," Dr. Zaki Rakib commented. "Nedira brings over a decade of experience in the life sciences industry, including securing contracts with pharmaceutical companies and other related sectors. She has strong experience leading licensing deals, operational scaling, and building cross-functional teams. Nedira will work closely with me to deliver on our revenue targets, in line with our anticipated growth and the launch of our new facility next year."
Previously, Ms. Salzman-Frenkel was Vice President of Business Development at an Israeli biotech, where she spearheaded BD efforts, resulting in a binding licensing term-sheet with a top global pharmaceutical company for Phase 3 clinical development. Prior to this, Ms. Salzman-Frenkel was CEO of the Salzman Group, a global pharmaceutical and contract research organization (CRO) that was focused on pre-clinical and clinical development of novel, small-molecule therapeutics, while providing services to the pharmaceutical, medical device, and agrochemical industries. During her tenure, Ms. Salzman-Frenkel secured approximately
Ms. Salzman-Frenkel commented, "I am excited to join BioHarvest at such an important stage, particularly as demand continues to increase for innovative and sustainable CDMO solutions. BioHarvest's Botanical Synthesis platform represents a differentiated approach to the development and manufacturing of plant-derived bioactive compounds, and I look forward to expanding strategic partnerships and commercial opportunities across multiple industries. Leveraging my experience in drug development and business strategy, I aim to drive BioHarvest's continued growth."
Ms. Salzman-Frenkel has a Master of Business Administration from Tel Aviv University, a Master of Science in Biochemistry from Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences from Ben Gurion University.
About BioHarvest
BioHarvest (NASDAQ: BHST) (FSE: 8MV) is a leader in Botanical Synthesis, leveraging its patented technology platform to grow plant-based compounds, without the need to grow the underlying plant. BioHarvest is leveraging its botanical synthesis technology to develop the next generation of science-based and clinically proven therapeutic solutions within two major business verticals; as a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) on behalf of customers seeking novel plant-based compounds, and as a creator of proprietary nutraceutical health and wellness products, which includes dietary supplements. To learn more, please visit www.bioharvest.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements are based on management's current expectations, beliefs, and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. For the CDMO Services Business Unit, there is no assurance that the company will obtain expanded business partnerships and commercial opportunities, and readers are cautioned that additional future contracts or increased revenue is not necessarily an increase in net income or profitability as costs will likely increase as well. There is no assurance that signed research agreements will proceed past a contracted stage, or that a developed molecule or compound will be commercialized or will generate royalties to the Company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law. Additional information is contained in the Company's SEC filings, available at http://www.sec.gov.
BioHarvest Company Contact:
Dave Ryan, VP Investor Relations
(604) 622-1186
info@bioharvest.com
Investor Relations Contact:
Chuck Padala, Managing Director
LifeSci Advisors
chuck@lifesciadvisors.com
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/297382