COSCIENS Biopharma Inc. Appoints Global Consumer Products and Biosciences Executive, Anna Biehn as Chief Executive Officer
COSCIENS Biopharma (NASDAQ: CSCI) has appointed Anna Biehn as Chief Executive Officer, effective May 5, 2025. Biehn brings over 25 years of experience in consumer products and biosciences industries, most recently serving as CFO of NuTek Natural Ingredients.
Current President and CEO Gilles Gagnon, who has been with the company since 2008, will transition to a Strategic Advisor and Director role. The leadership change comes as COSCIENS, a life science company developing cosmeceutical, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products, aims to strengthen its position in natural-based products for health and wellness.
Biehn's previous experience includes serving as VP Strategy and Marketing at NuTek Natural Ingredients and President of Consumer Foods International at Conagra. She holds board positions at PretzelHaus Bakery and Baldwin Richardson Foods, and has an MBA from the University of Denver.
COSCIENS Biopharma (NASDAQ: CSCI) ha nominato Anna Biehn come Amministratore Delegato, con effetto dal 5 maggio 2025. Biehn porta con sé oltre 25 anni di esperienza nei settori dei prodotti di consumo e delle bioscienze, avendo recentemente ricoperto il ruolo di CFO di NuTek Natural Ingredients.
L'attuale Presidente e CEO Gilles Gagnon, che è con l'azienda dal 2008, passerà a un ruolo di Consulente Strategico e Direttore. Questo cambiamento nella leadership avviene mentre COSCIENS, un'azienda nel settore delle scienze della vita che sviluppa prodotti cosmeceutici, nutraceutici e farmaceutici, mira a rafforzare la propria posizione nei prodotti a base naturale per la salute e il benessere.
L'esperienza precedente di Biehn include il ruolo di VP Strategia e Marketing presso NuTek Natural Ingredients e Presidente di Consumer Foods International presso Conagra. È membro del consiglio di amministrazione di PretzelHaus Bakery e Baldwin Richardson Foods, e ha conseguito un MBA presso l'Università di Denver.
COSCIENS Biopharma (NASDAQ: CSCI) ha nombrado a Anna Biehn como Directora Ejecutiva, con efecto a partir del 5 de mayo de 2025. Biehn aporta más de 25 años de experiencia en las industrias de productos de consumo y biosciencias, habiendo servido recientemente como CFO de NuTek Natural Ingredients.
El actual Presidente y CEO Gilles Gagnon, que ha estado en la empresa desde 2008, pasará a un rol de Asesor Estratégico y Director. Este cambio en el liderazgo se produce mientras COSCIENS, una empresa de ciencias de la vida que desarrolla productos cosmeceuticos, nutracéuticos y farmacéuticos, busca fortalecer su posición en productos basados en la naturaleza para la salud y el bienestar.
La experiencia previa de Biehn incluye haber sido VP de Estrategia y Marketing en NuTek Natural Ingredients y Presidenta de Consumer Foods International en Conagra. Ocupa puestos en la junta de PretzelHaus Bakery y Baldwin Richardson Foods, y tiene un MBA de la Universidad de Denver.
COSCIENS Biopharma (NASDAQ: CSCI)는 Anna Biehn을 2025년 5월 5일부터 CEO로 임명했습니다. Biehn은 소비재 및 생명과학 산업에서 25년 이상의 경험을 보유하고 있으며, 최근에는 NuTek Natural Ingredients의 CFO로 재직했습니다.
현재 사장 겸 CEO인 Gilles Gagnon은 2008년부터 회사에 재직해 왔으며, 전략 고문 및 이사로 전환할 예정입니다. 이 리더십 변화는 COSCIENS가 건강과 웰빙을 위한 자연 기반 제품의 입지를 강화하려는 노력의 일환으로 이루어집니다.
Biehn의 이전 경험에는 NuTek Natural Ingredients의 전략 및 마케팅 부사장과 Conagra의 소비재 국제 부문 사장이 포함됩니다. 그녀는 PretzelHaus Bakery와 Baldwin Richardson Foods의 이사직을 맡고 있으며, 덴버 대학교에서 MBA를 취득했습니다.
COSCIENS Biopharma (NASDAQ: CSCI) a nommé Anna Biehn au poste de Directrice Générale, à compter du 5 mai 2025. Biehn apporte plus de 25 ans d'expérience dans les secteurs des produits de consommation et des biosciences, ayant récemment occupé le poste de CFO chez NuTek Natural Ingredients.
L'actuel Président et CEO Gilles Gagnon, qui est avec l'entreprise depuis 2008, passera à un rôle de Conseiller Stratégique et de Directeur. Ce changement de direction intervient alors que COSCIENS, une entreprise de sciences de la vie développant des produits cosméceutiques, nutraceutiques et pharmaceutiques, vise à renforcer sa position dans les produits à base naturelle pour la santé et le bien-être.
L'expérience précédente de Biehn comprend des fonctions en tant que VP Stratégie et Marketing chez NuTek Natural Ingredients et Présidente de Consumer Foods International chez Conagra. Elle occupe des postes au conseil d'administration de PretzelHaus Bakery et Baldwin Richardson Foods, et possède un MBA de l'Université de Denver.
COSCIENS Biopharma (NASDAQ: CSCI) hat Anna Biehn als Geschäftsführerin ernannt, die am 5. Mai 2025 ihr Amt antreten wird. Biehn bringt über 25 Jahre Erfahrung in den Bereichen Konsumgüter und Biowissenschaften mit und war zuletzt CFO von NuTek Natural Ingredients.
Der derzeitige Präsident und CEO Gilles Gagnon, der seit 2008 im Unternehmen ist, wird in eine Rolle als Strategischer Berater und Direktor wechseln. Der Führungswechsel erfolgt, während COSCIENS, ein Unternehmen der Lebenswissenschaften, das kosmetische, nutraceutical und pharmazeutische Produkte entwickelt, seine Position im Bereich natürlicher Gesundheits- und Wellnessprodukte stärken möchte.
Biehns frühere Erfahrungen umfassen die Position des VP für Strategie und Marketing bei NuTek Natural Ingredients sowie die Präsidentschaft von Consumer Foods International bei Conagra. Sie hat Aufsichtsratspositionen bei PretzelHaus Bakery und Baldwin Richardson Foods inne und hat einen MBA von der University of Denver.
- Appointment of experienced executive with 25+ years in consumer products and biosciences
- Strategic continuity maintained with former CEO staying as advisor
- New CEO brings valuable experience in natural ingredients commercialization
- Strong track record of the new CEO in global market expansion
- Potential disruption during leadership transition period
- Risk of strategic direction change under new management
25+ years of experience in executive leadership roles and developing global strategic growth plans with repeatable models applicable across markets, categories and channels
Current President and CEO, Gilles Gagnon to remain as a Strategic Advisor and Director
Company leveraging core competencies to develop and commercialize
natural-based products to improve health and wellness
TORONTO, ONTARIO, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- COSCIENS Biopharma Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCI) (TSX: CSCI) (“COSCIENS” or the “Company”), a life science company which develops and commercializes a diversified portfolio of cosmeceutical, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products, today announced the appointment of Anna Biehn as Chief Executive Officer, effective May 5, 2025.
Ms. Biehn is a global general management and marketing executive with over 25 years of experience across the consumer products and biosciences industries. She joins COSCIENS having most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer of NuTek Natural Ingredients, a clean-label and plant-based food ingredient company.
“The Board is delighted to have an executive with Anna’s proven leadership credentials and successful track record in building both consumer products and natural based product platforms around the world,” commented Ronnie Miller, Chair of the Board of COSCIENS Biopharma. “On behalf of our entire management team and the board, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Gilles for his tireless efforts, commitment, vision and significant contributions. Gilles has played a key role in the growth and current positioning of the Company since he joined in 2008. We are pleased that he is maintaining his involvement by acting as a special consultant to the CEO to share insights and secure a smooth transition with Anna who we believe is more than capable to help COSCIENS achieve its next phase of growth.”
Gilles Gagnon, M.Sc., MBA, President and CEO of COSCIENS Biopharma commented, “We have taken careful consideration for my successor as Chief Executive Officer and are extremely pleased and honored to welcome Anna to the team. She has focused her career on leveraging valuable consumer insights to drive marketing and product development in various areas. We have no doubt that her knowledge and extensive experience in commercializing natural ingredients will contribute to establish COSCIENS as a global pure play natural based products life science company.”
Ms. Biehn added, “I am grateful for the opportunity to join the COSCIENS team at such a pivotal moment in the Company’s evolution. The expansive growth of natural products and ingredients has created a dynamic and fast-growing opportunity across several sectors, including life sciences. I believe the portfolio of potential products and programs COSCIENS has established to date as well as their novel technology provide significant, innovation opportunities to drive near-in and long-term value. I look forward to working with the team to position COSCIENS as a global leader in natural based products for health and wellness.”
Prior to her role as CFO at NuTek Natural Ingredients, Ms. Biehn served as VP Strategy and Marketing where she led the strategy to evolve the business from a single ingredient company to a natural products ingredient solutions provider, positioning it for growth in the category. She began her career at Conagra, a leading global packaged food company with sales of
Ms. Biehn holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Political Science from Concordia College and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Denver.
About COSCIENS Biopharma Inc.
COSCIENS is a life science company resulting from the merger of Aeterna Zentaris and Ceapro Inc. COSCIENS develops and commercializes a diversified portfolio of cosmeceutical, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products. We are focused on leveraging our proprietary extraction technology, which is applied to the production of active ingredients from renewable plant resources currently used in cosmeceutical products (i.e., oat beta glucan and avenanthramides which are found in leading skincare product brands like Aveeno and Burt's Bees formulations) and being developed as potential nutraceuticals and/or pharmaceuticals.
The Company is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market and the Toronto Stock Exchange, and trades on both exchanges under the ticker symbol "CSCI". For more information, please visit COSCIENS' website at www.cosciensbio.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this news release, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, and "forward-looking information" under the provisions of Canadian securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address circumstances, events, activities, or developments that could or may or will occur are forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, words such as "anticipate", "assume", "believe", "could", "expect", "forecast", "future", "goal", "guidance", "intend", "likely", "may", "would" or the negative or comparable terminology as well as terms usually used in the future and the conditional are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements include such words. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements relating to: our goals and expectations regarding our plans related to the development, manufacture or commercialization of our products.
Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, operational and other risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors, including those described below, which could cause actual results, performance or achievements of the combined Company to be materially different from results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and, as such, undue reliance must not be placed on them.
Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which include, among others: the combined Company's present and future business strategies; operations and performance within expected ranges; anticipated future cash flows; local and global economic conditions and the environment in which the combined Company operates; anticipated capital and operating costs; uncertainty in our revenue generation from our marketed products, product development and related clinical trials and validation studies; results from our avenanthramide product and other products under development may not be successful or may not support advancing the product; the failure of the DETECT-trial to achieve its primary endpoint in CGHD may impact the market for macimorelin (Macrilen®; Ghryvelin®) in AGHD and the existing relationships we have for that product; ability to raise capital and obtain financing to continue our currently planned operations; our now heavy dependence on sales by and revenue from our main distributor of our legacy Ceapro products and its customers, the continued availability of funds and resources to successfully commercialize our products; the ability to secure strategic partners for late stage development, marketing, and distribution of our products; our ability to enter into out-licensing, development, manufacturing, marketing and distribution agreements with other pharmaceutical companies and keep such agreements in effect; our ability to protect and enforce our patent portfolio and intellectual property; and our ability to continue to list our common shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
Issuer:
Gilles R. Gagnon
President & CEO
+1 (780) 421-4555
E: ggagnon@cosciensbio.com
Investor Contact:
Jenene Thomas
JTC TeamT (US): +1 (908) 824-0775
E: csci@jtcir.com
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