Nicox appoints experienced biotech leader Damian Marron as Chair of the Board and Marc Le Bozec as Director

Press Release
Nicox appoints experienced biotech leader Damian Marron as Chair of the Board and Marc Le Bozec as Director


  • Damian Marron is an experienced healthcare executive, non-executive Director/Chair and advisor
  • Marc Le Bozec is an experienced life sciences entrepreneur with a background in finance, organization and strategic consulting
  • Jean-François Labbe retires as Chair and member of the Board at the completion of his term; Les Kaplan has also decided to step down from the Board
July 16th, 2024 – release at 7:30 am CET
Sophia Antipolis, France



Nicox SA (Euronext Growth Paris: FR0013018124, ALCOX), an international ophthalmology company, today announced the appointment of the highly experienced healthcare executive, non-executive Director/Chair and advisor Damian Marron as Chair of the Board of Directors. Marc Le Bozec, an experienced life sciences entrepreneur, is also appointed as a new Director of Nicox. Both Damian Marron and Marc Le Bozec are independent Directors in accordance with the criteria set out by the recommendation 3 of the Middlenext Governance Code.



Jean-François Labbe is retiring as Chair and member of the Board, at the completion of his term. Les Kaplan has also decided to step down from the Board. Both Jean-Francois Labbé and Les Kaplan have contributed many years of service as Directors of Nicox.



“I am very pleased to welcome Damian Marron and Marc Le Bozec, who both bring strong and relevant expertise in specific areas of focus for Nicox at this stage of our development. In particular, they will support exploring strategic options and financing opportunities for the company alongside advising on business development discussions on NCX 470 or our other drug candidates.” said Gavin Spencer, Chief Executive Officer of Nicox.I would like to extend my thanks to Jean-François Labbe and Les Kaplan for their long and dedicated service to Nicox. We have appreciated their experience and guidance as Board members and wish them all the best for the future.



“I am excited to join Nicox at this important stage in its development. Based on its existing revenue plus a late-stage, derisked asset, there are multiple strategic and business development opportunities for the Company over the next 12-18 months. I am looking forward to working with Marc Le Bozec, Michele Garufi and Gavin Spencer on the Board of Directors to support the Company in my new role as Chair of the Board.” said Damian Marron, Chair of the Board of Directors of Nicox.



Damian Marron is a seasoned executive, 4-time CEO, Chair, non-executive Board Member and company advisor with a proven track record in value creation through public funding, venture capital, portfolio planning, mergers and acquisitions, and license agreements, as well as R&D collaborations. He has extensive experience in both executive and independent administrator roles, with a specialization in immuno-oncology, cellular therapy, and orphan diseases. He is currently Chair of the Board of Directors for Circio Holding ASA, Imophoron Ltd, and Indegra Therapeutics Ltd.



Marc Le Bozec is a life sciences entrepreneur with a strong background in finance, organization and strategic consulting. As CFO of Cellectis, he led its IPO in Paris in 2007 and raised €120 million from 2006 to 2013. He then redirected the company Cytoo towards human muscle research, leading to FDA validation and becoming a key shareholder of the company. After nine years as a professional investor, notably as fund manager at Financière Arbevel, he resumed consulting and also founded Neurodyx in January 2024 to advance neuro-inflammation research.



At the date of this press release, Nicox's Board of Directors is composed as follows:



  • Damian Marron, Chair of the Board and Independent Director,
  • Gavin Spencer, Chief Executive Officer and Director,
  • Michele Garufi, Co-Founder and Director,
  • Marc le Bozec, Independent Director.
About Nicox
Nicox SA is an international ophthalmology company developing innovative solutions to help maintain vision and improve ocular health. Nicox’s lead program in clinical development is NCX 470 (bimatoprost grenod), a novel nitric oxide-donating bimatoprost eye drop, for lowering intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Nicox generates revenue from VYZULTA® in glaucoma, licensed exclusively worldwide to Bausch + Lomb, and ZERVIATE® in allergic conjunctivitis, licensed in multiple geographies, including to Harrow, Inc. in the U.S., and Ocumension Therapeutics in the Chinese and in the majority of Southeast Asian markets.

Nicox, headquartered in Sophia Antipolis, France, is listed on Euronext Growth Paris (Ticker symbol: ALCOX) and is part of the CAC Healthcare index.

For more information www.nicox.com
Analyst coverage




H.C. Wainwright & Co Yi Chen New York, U.S.
 
The views expressed by analysts in their coverage of Nicox are those of the author and do not reflect the views of Nicox. Additionally, the information contained in their reports may not be correct or current. Nicox disavows any obligation to correct or to update the information contained in analyst reports.
Contacts 
Nicox
Gavin Spencer
Chief Executive Officer
T +33 (0)4 97 24 53 00
communications@nicox.com
Media / Investors
Sophie Baumont
Cohesion Bureau
+33 6 27 74 74 49 sophie.baumont@cohesionbureau.com
Disclaimer
The information contained in this document may be modified without prior notice. This information includes forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. These statements are based on current expectations or beliefs of the management of Nicox S.A. and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Nicox S.A. and its affiliates, directors, officers, employees, advisers or agents, do not undertake, nor do they have any obligation, to provide updates or to revise any forward-looking statements.

Risks factors which are likely to have a material effect on Nicox’s business are presented in section 3 of the “Rapport Annuel 2023” which is available on Nicox’s website (www.nicox.com).

Finally, this press release may be drafted in the French and English languages. If both versions are interpreted differently, the French language version shall prevail.
Nicox S.A.
Sundesk Sophia Antipolis, Bâtiment C, Emerald Square, Rue Evariste Galois, 06410 Biot, France
T +33 (0)4 97 24 53 00

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