Pharming to nominate biopharmaceutical leader Fabrice Chouraqui as new Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer
Pharming Group has nominated Fabrice Chouraqui as its new Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Sijmen de Vries. The appointment will be for a four-year term, subject to shareholder approval at an upcoming Extraordinary General Meeting. De Vries will remain as a strategic advisor until December 31, 2025, to ensure a smooth transition.
Chouraqui brings extensive global pharmaceutical and biotechnology experience. He previously served as CEO-Partner at Flagship Pioneering and CEO of Cellarity, Inc., where he raised over $250M. His prior roles include President of Novartis Pharmaceuticals USA (2016-2019) and various leadership positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb. He holds an MBA from INSEAD and a Doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of Paris V.
Pharming Group ha nominato Fabrice Chouraqui come suo nuovo Direttore Esecutivo e Amministratore Delegato, succedendo a Sijmen de Vries. La nomina avverrà per un mandato di quattro anni, soggetto all'approvazione degli azionisti in un prossimo incontro straordinario. De Vries rimarrà come consulente strategico fino al 31 dicembre 2025, per garantire una transizione fluida.
Chouraqui porta con sé un'ampia esperienza a livello globale nel settore farmaceutico e biotecnologico. In precedenza, ha ricoperto il ruolo di CEO-Partner presso Flagship Pioneering e CEO di Cellarity, Inc., dove ha raccolto oltre 250 milioni di dollari. Le sue esperienze precedenti includono quella di Presidente di Novartis Pharmaceuticals USA (2016-2019) e vari ruoli di leadership presso Bristol-Myers Squibb. Possiede un MBA da INSEAD e un Dottorato in Farmacia dalla Università di Parigi V.
Pharming Group ha nombrado a Fabrice Chouraqui como su nuevo Director Ejecutivo y Consejero Delegado, sucediendo a Sijmen de Vries. El nombramiento será por un período de cuatro años, sujeto a la aprobación de los accionistas en una próxima Junta General Extraordinaria. De Vries se mantendrá como asesor estratégico hasta el 31 de diciembre de 2025, para asegurar una transición fluida.
Chouraqui aporta una amplia experiencia global en el sector farmacéutico y biotecnológico. Anteriormente, se desempeñó como CEO-Partner en Flagship Pioneering y CEO de Cellarity, Inc., donde recaudó más de 250 millones de dólares. Sus roles anteriores incluyen el de Presidente de Novartis Pharmaceuticals USA (2016-2019) y varios puestos de liderazgo en Bristol-Myers Squibb. Tiene un MBA de INSEAD y un Doctorado en Farmacia de la Universidad de París V.
Pharming Group은 Fabrice Chouraqui를 새로운 전무이사 겸 CEO로 임명했으며, Sijmen de Vries의 후임으로 취임하게 됩니다. 임명은 주주들의 승인에 따라 다음 임시총회에서 4년 임기로 진행됩니다. De Vries는 2025년 12월 31일까지 전략 고문으로 남아 원활한 전환을 보장할 예정입니다.
Chouraqui는 방대한 글로벌 제약 및 생명공학 경험을 보유하고 있습니다. 그는 이전에 Flagship Pioneering에서 CEO-Partner로, Cellarity, Inc.에서 CEO로 재직하며 2억 5천만 달러 이상의 자금을 조달했습니다. 그의 이전 역할에는 노바르티스 제약 미국의 사장(2016-2019)과 브리스톨 마이어스 스쿼ibb에서의 여러 리더십 역할이 포함됩니다. 그는 INSEAD에서 MBA를, 파리 V대학교에서 약학 박사 학위를 취득했습니다.
Pharming Group a nommé Fabrice Chouraqui comme son nouveau Directeur Exécutif et Directeur Général, succédant à Sijmen de Vries. La nomination sera d'une durée de quatre ans, sous réserve de l'approbation des actionnaires lors d'une prochaine Assemblée Générale Extraordinaire. De Vries demeurera en tant que conseiller stratégique jusqu'au 31 décembre 2025, afin d'assurer une transition douce.
Chouraqui apporte une vaste expérience mondiale dans le secteur pharmaceutique et biotechnologique. Auparavant, il a été CEO-Partner chez Flagship Pioneering et CEO de Cellarity, Inc., où il a levé plus de 250 millions de dollars. Ses précédents postes incluent Président de Novartis Pharmaceuticals USA (2016-2019) et divers postes de direction chez Bristol-Myers Squibb. Il détient un MBA de INSEAD et un Doctorat en Pharmacie de l'Université de Paris V.
Pharming Group hat Fabrice Chouraqui zu seinem neuen Geschäftsführer und CEO ernannt, der Sijmen de Vries nachfolgt. Die Ernennung erfolgt für eine Amtszeit von vier Jahren, vorbehaltlich der Genehmigung durch die Aktionäre in einer bevorstehenden außerordentlichen Hauptversammlung. De Vries wird bis zum 31. Dezember 2025 als strategischer Berater verbleiben, um einen reibungslosen Übergang zu gewährleisten.
Chouraqui bringt umfangreiche globale Erfahrungen in der Pharma- und Biotechnologiebranche mit. Zuvor war er CEO-Partner bei Flagship Pioneering und CEO von Cellarity, Inc., wo er über 250 Millionen Dollar gesammelt hat. Zu seinen früheren Positionen gehören Präsident von Novartis Pharmaceuticals USA (2016-2019) sowie verschiedene Führungspositionen bei Bristol-Myers Squibb. Er hat einen MBA von INSEAD und einen Doktortitel in Pharmazie von der Universität Paris V.
- Appointment of experienced pharmaceutical executive with proven track record in value creation
- New CEO brings extensive experience in rare disease drug commercialization
- Structured transition period with former CEO staying as advisor until end of 2025
- Incoming CEO has strong background in fundraising ($250M+ at previous role)
- None.
Insights
The nomination of Fabrice Chouraqui as CEO represents a strategic pivot for Pharming, particularly given his extensive background in rare disease commercialization and business development. His track record at Novartis with Ilaris and experience scaling biotechnology companies at Flagship Pioneering suggests a focus on accelerating Pharming's rare disease portfolio expansion.
Key strategic implications include potential acceleration of business development activities, given Chouraqui's experience with in-licensing deals like ofatumumab and erenumab at Novartis. His expertise in launching specialty medicines and improving market access could help optimize Pharming's commercial execution, particularly important for rare disease products where reimbursement is complex.
The retention of former CEO de Vries as an advisor through 2025 indicates a carefully planned transition focused on maintaining operational continuity. This structured handover approach helps mitigate execution risks during the leadership change.
Chouraqui brings highly relevant rare disease and specialty pharmaceutical expertise that aligns well with Pharming's strategic direction. His experience leading Cellarity's AI-driven drug discovery platform could accelerate Pharming's R&D capabilities and pipeline development.
Most notably, his successful commercialization of Cosentyx and Entresto at Novartis demonstrates ability to launch complex specialty products. The $250M capital raise at Cellarity and partnership with Novo Nordisk showcase deal-making capabilities that could help Pharming pursue strategic opportunities.
For a mid-sized rare disease company like Pharming, having a CEO with both big pharma commercial expertise and biotech innovation experience is particularly valuable. This combination could help optimize both near-term execution and long-term strategic positioning in the competitive rare disease space.
Leiden, the Netherlands, January 21, 2025: Pharming Group N.V. (“Pharming” or “the Company”) (EURONEXT Amsterdam: PHARM/Nasdaq: PHAR) announces today that the Board of Directors has nominated Fabrice Chouraqui to become Pharming’s new Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Sijmen de Vries.
Pharming will nominate Mr. Chouraqui for the appointment as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer for a term of four years at an upcoming Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (EGM). Information regarding the EGM, including the notice to convene, will be shared shortly in a separate press release.
Upon the appointment of Mr. Chouraqui, Sijmen de Vries will resign from the Board of Directors. To ensure a smooth hand-over of tasks and responsibilities, Mr. de Vries will remain a strategic advisor to the new CEO until December 31, 2025.
Dr. Richard Peters, Chairman of the Board of Directors, commented:
“After an extensive search, the Board and I are confident that Fabrice Chouraqui is the right candidate to lead Pharming and continue to implement our growth strategy, shaping Pharming into the rare disease company of choice. Fabrice is a deeply experienced global pharmaceutical and biotechnology executive, who brings a wealth of profound global expertise and experience, across the entire biopharmaceutical value chain, to Pharming.
On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I would like to thank Sijmen de Vries for his great commitment to Pharming over the past 16 years and for creating the company that it is today, serving patients and paving the way for delivery on the company’s strategy for growth. We are grateful that Sijmen will continue to be available through the end of the year to ensure a smooth hand-over with Fabrice.”
Sijmen de Vries, Chief Executive Officer, commented:
“I am very pleased with the nomination of Fabrice Chouraqui as my successor. Fabrice brings strong leadership experience with global pharmaceutical companies and highly innovative biotechnology companies to Pharming. To make way for Fabrice to take over the executive leadership of the Company, I will resign from the Board of Directors upon the appointment of Fabrice by our shareholders. I look forward to supporting Fabrice, working closely together through the remainder of the year, and ensuring a smooth hand-over.”
Fabrice Chouraqui commented:
“I am honored to have the opportunity to take over the leadership of Pharming, building on the strong foundation and joining at a time when I can help propel the company through its next stage of growth in the rare disease space. I am impressed by Pharming’s growing portfolio of products and commercial opportunities which will pave the way for us to become the rare disease company of choice.”
Profile
Mr. Fabrice Chouraqui (date of birth: August 1, 1970, French national, U.S. citizen) is a global pharmaceutical executive with a record of value creation at Flagship Pioneering, Novartis and Bristol-Myers Squibb. A purpose-driven leader with a passion for bringing innovative treatments to patients, Mr. Chouraqui has a reputation for building strong followership in organizations. He is scientifically minded, with a deep understanding across the business spectrum, from research and development to access and commercialization, including strong expertise in investor management and business development.
Across his career, Mr. Chouraqui has led the launch of treatments in many therapeutic areas, including highly targeted specialty care drugs and large primary care medicines. He consistently demonstrates strategic and innovative thinking to achieve long-lasting results and has a strong record of developing next generation talents and highly diverse teams.
Until recently, Mr. Chouraqui was a CEO-Partner at Flagship Pioneering, one of the largest Biotech Venture Capital firms in the US. Mr. Chouraqui also served as CEO of Cellarity, Inc., one of the companies created by Flagship Pioneering. In his CEO capacity, Mr. Chouraqui was leading the development of Cellarity, a company which is driving a radically new approach to drug discovery by working at the intersection of AI and biology. Mr. Chouraqui raised over
Prior to joining Flagship Pioneering, Mr. Chouraqui spent 10 years at Novartis. He was President of Novartis Pharmaceuticals USA from 2016 to 2019, during which he delivered strong growth despite negative price impact and significantly improved profitability. Promoted to turn around performance after the business suffered issues with recent launches, Mr. Chouraqui developed sophisticated commercial and access capabilities to meet the new market environment. He achieved strong market positions for two significant growth drivers (Cosentyx and Entresto), drove the uptake of the rare disease drug Ilaris, initiated the landmark PIONEER clinical trial in heart failure, and championed several business development initiatives. Mr. Chouraqui moved the organization’s culture from “consensus building, conservative and siloed” to “questioning, experimenting and collaborative.” He also served as Novartis representative on the board of BIO.
Before leading the US organization, Mr. Chouraqui was President, Latin America & Canada (2014-2016) for Novartis Pharmaceuticals, responsible for leading a portfolio shift from established primary care medicines to innovative specialty care drugs. He also served as Global Head, Business Franchise Neuroscience (2012-2014). In this role, he relaunched Gilenya (Multiple Sclerosis) following a post-launch regulatory review and made Gilenya the largest growth contributor in the Novartis five-year strategic plan. Mr. Chouraqui also addressed late-stage pipeline gaps with the start of the siponimod program in Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (approved in 2019) and the identification of business development opportunities, which led to the in-licensing of ofatumumab in MS from GSK (launched as Kesimpta) and a partnership with Amgen on erenumab for migraine (launched as Aymovig).
From 2000 to 2010, Mr. Chouraqui held multiple international roles at Bristol-Myers Squibb, ultimately serving as Vice President, Commercial Operations, Asia-Pacific and General Manager, Southeast Asia (2008-2010). He began his career in R&D roles at Roussel Uclaf and Hoechst Marion Roussel, pharmaceutical companies that were predecessors to today’s Sanofi.
Mr. Chouraqui earned a MBA from INSEAD and a Doctorate in Pharmacy, a Post-Graduate Degree in Quality Assurance of Medicines, and a MSc in Biological and Medicinal Sciences from University of Paris V.
Mr. Chouraqui shall have stepped down as Executive Chairman of Cellarity, Inc., a non-listed company, no later than upon his appointment as the new Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Pharming. Thereafter, Mr. Chouraqui intends to serve as a non-executive Board member of Cellarity.
Mr. Chouraqui also holds the position of independent Board member of OranoMed, a non-listed (and therefore private) subsidiary of Orano Group. OranoMed is a company specialized in the research and development of Pb-212 based radioligand alpha therapies for the treatment of various types of cancers.
The resume of Mr. Chouraqui is available on our website.
For further public information, contact:
Pharming Group, Leiden, the Netherlands
Michael Levitan, VP Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
T: +1 (908) 705 1696
E: investor@pharming.com
FTI Consulting, London, UK
Victoria Foster Mitchell/Alex Shaw/Amy Byrne
T: +44 203 727 1000
LifeSpring Life Sciences Communication, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Leon Melens
T: +31 6 53 81 64 27
E: pharming@lifespring.nl
About Pharming Group N.V.
Pharming Group N.V. (EURONEXT Amsterdam: PHARM/Nasdaq: PHAR) is a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming the lives of patients with rare, debilitating, and life-threatening diseases. Pharming is commercializing and developing an innovative portfolio of protein replacement therapies and precision medicines, including small molecules and biologics. Pharming is headquartered in Leiden, the Netherlands, and has employees around the globe who serve patients in over 30 markets in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.
For more information, visit www.pharming.com and find us on LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “aim”, “ambition”, ‘‘anticipate’’, ‘‘believe’’, ‘‘could’’, ‘‘estimate’’, ‘‘expect’’, ‘‘goals’’, ‘‘intend’’, ‘‘may’’, “milestones”, ‘‘objectives’’, ‘‘outlook’’, ‘‘plan’’, ‘‘probably’’, ‘‘project’’, ‘‘risks’’, “schedule”, ‘‘seek’’, ‘‘should’’, ‘‘target’’, ‘‘will’’ and similar terms and phrases. Examples of forward-looking statements may include statements with respect to timing and progress of Pharming's preclinical studies and clinical trials of its product candidates, Pharming's clinical and commercial prospects, and Pharming's expectations regarding its projected working capital requirements and cash resources, which statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, but not limited to the scope, progress and expansion of Pharming's clinical trials and ramifications for the cost thereof; and clinical, scientific, regulatory, commercial, competitive and technical developments. In light of these risks and uncertainties, and other risks and uncertainties that are described in Pharming's 2023 Annual Report and the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the events and circumstances discussed in such forward-looking statements may not occur, and Pharming's actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied thereby. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on information available to Pharming as of the date of this release. Pharming does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information.
Inside Information
This press release relates to the disclosure of information that qualifies, or may have qualified, as inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.
Attachments
- Fabrice Chouraqui
- Pharming to nominate new Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer_EN_21JAN25
FAQ
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