Following the Filing for the Opening of Reorganization Proceedings, Poxel Announces Changes to Its Corporate Governance
Regulatory News:
POXEL SA (Euronext : POXEL - FR0012432516), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments for chronic serious diseases with metabolic pathophysiology, including Metabolic dysfunction-Associated SteatoHepatitis (MASH) and rare metabolic disorders, announces significant changes within the Board of Directors.
As mentioned in the press release dated July 29, 2025 following the agreement signed by Poxel and its directors with the senior creditor of the Company, and in the context of the filing for the insolvency ("déclaration de cessation des paiements") and request for opening of reorganization proceedings ("redressement judiciaire") with the Court for Economic Activities of Lyon, all the current directors of the Company, Ms. Pascale Boissel, Mr. Richard Kender, Mr. Thomas Kuhn and Mr. Khoso Baluch, have submitted their resignations with immediate effect as of July 31, 2025.
At its meeting on July 31, 2025, the Board of Directors of the Company decided to replace them individually by co-optation with immediate effect by the following new directors:
- Ms. Sophie Jacq Lapointe;
- Mr. Nicolas Trouche;
- Mr. Amit Kohli;
- Mr. Alexandre Bragadir.
These co-optations will be subject to ratification at the next general meeting of shareholders of the Company.
Regarding the independence criteria adopted by the Board of Directors and derived from the MiddleNext Code, Ms. Sophie Jacq Lapointe and Mr. Amit Kohli are considered to be independent directors. As Mr. Alexandre Bragadir is an employee of IPF Partners, which is one of the Company's partners and creditors (but not a shareholder), he cannot be considered independent. Due to his appointment as Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Nicolas Trouche cannot be considered independent either.
Ms. Sophie Jacq Lapointe has been appointed by the new Board of Directors, as Chairman of the Board of Directors, succeeding Mr. Khoso Baluch.
Mr. Thomas Kuhn also informed the Board of Directors of his resignation from his position as Chief Executive Officer, with immediate effect as of July 31, 2025. The Board of Directors then unanimously appointed Mr. Nicolas Trouche as Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
Sophie Jacq Lapointe
With over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Sophie has held numerous executive roles and has contributed to many commercial successes in oncology, immunology, neuroscience, rare diseases, and endocrinology.
She has led or been involved in more than twenty product launches in France, across Europe, and in emerging markets, during her time at Roche, Sanofi, and Ipsen. This includes major R&D transformation projects at Sanofi and Ipsen, as well as serving as General Manager for the Belgium–Luxembourg region at Ipsen and the biotech company Perha Pharmaceuticals. For the past two years, she has been advising biotech Chief Executive Officers and executive committees on clinical and commercial development of innovative product portfolios, with successful business development outcomes. Sophie holds a degree from ESSEC Business School.
Nicolas Trouche
Nicolas started with D&I in 2021, a firm specialized in restructuring companies in special situations. Nicolas started in R&D and development of hardware components for robotics. He joined Valeo group where he developed a complete career in technical, project and division management positions in France, Germany and Spain. Moving to Faurecia, he managed the reorganization of one important plant within Seating Business Group. He started at Kuka in 2008 as CEO of Kuka Systems France to conduct the full restructuring of this company during subprime crisis, then managed participations of French and foreign investment funds in operational restructuring contexts, construction of green fields in Slovakia, Mexico and China, equity and build-up negotiations. In particular as CEO of a Tier 2 equipment group that he led from €70M to €150M in turnover. Senior advisor for a German fund, he also bought, managed and then sold companies in the BtoB service: industrial equipment, engineering services, electrical, PLC and Robotics. As a D&I partner, he has worked in several technology start-ups and has developed and restructured B2B industrial and commercial and service companies. Nicolas is an engineer in electrical engineering with a PhD in robotics.
Amit Kohli
Amit Kohli has over 3 decades of leadership experience operating at intersection of science, finance and commercialization. Amit has extensive experience in the diabetes therapy area, having held senior roles at Sanofi (1997-2010) and Becton Dickinson (2011-2016) where he launched diabetes-related products across developed and emerging markets growing them to multi-billion euros in revenue.
Lately, as Chief Executive Officer of privately held biotech, Antev (2020 onwards), he led the company's $75M sale to Medicus (NASDAQ:MDCX).
Mr Kohli has held Global and regional leadership roles at Pharnext, Eurofins, Becton Dickinson and Sanofi, encompassing sales, marketing, finance, supply chain and manufacturing.
Mr. Kohli earned an M.B.A. in Finance from the Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon, in India and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pune in India.
Alexandre Bragadir
Alexandre Bragadir has been a Senior Investment Director at IPF Partners, a fund specializing in non-dilutive financing for innovative healthcare companies across Europe. He structures and oversees debt investments, having been involved with a dozen companies in the biotech, biopharma, medtech, and digital health sectors over the past six years. He began his career in 2003 in audit at Salustro Reydel before joining BNP Paribas, in strategic client coverage in Portugal, in structured finance in Paris, and in commodity trade finance team in Geneva. Alexandre holds a degree from ESCP Europe.
About Poxel SA
Poxel is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments for chronic serious diseases with metabolic pathophysiology, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and rare disorders. For the treatment of MASH, PXL065 (deuterium-stabilized R-pioglitazone) met its primary endpoint in a streamlined Phase 2 trial (DESTINY-1). In rare diseases, development of PXL770, a first-in-class direct adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator, is focused on the treatment of adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). TWYMEEG® (Imeglimin), Poxel's first-in-class product that targets mitochondrial dysfunction, is now marketed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in Japan by Sumitomo Pharma and Poxel expects to receive royalties and sales-based payments. Poxel has a strategic partnership with Sumitomo Pharma for Imeglimin in Japan. Listed on Euronext Paris, Poxel is headquartered in Lyon, France, and has subsidiaries in Boston, MA, and Tokyo, Japan.
For more information, please visit: www.poxelpharma.com
All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release about future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors beyond the Company's control. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words such as "target," "believe," "expect," "aim," "intend," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "project," "will," "can have," "likely," "should," "would," "could" and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control that could cause the Company's actual results or performance to be materially different from the expected results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not endorse or is otherwise not responsible for the content of external hyperlinks referred to in this press release.
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