Longeveron Inc., a clinical stage regenerative medicine biotechnology company developing cellular therapies for life-threatening, rare pediatric and chronic aging-related conditions, announced that the Company’s Board of Directors has appointed Stephen H. Willard as Chief Executive Officer, effective February 11, 2026. He succeeds Than Powell who served as interim CEO prior to the Board’s appointment of Mr. Willard as permanent CEO. Mr. Powell will support the leadership transition and continue his work in the Company’s on-going business development activities.
“I am delighted to welcome Stephen as CEO, particularly at this exciting time in Longeveron’s history developing stem cell therapies addressing life threatening conditions in the most vulnerable populations – children and the elderly,” said Joshua Hare, MD, FACC, FAHA, Executive Chairman and Chief Science Officer of Longeveron. “Our pivotal Phase 2b clinical trial evaluating laromestrocel as a potential treatment for HLHS is anticipated to produce top-line trial results in third quarter of this year. Longeveron has previously received FDA guidance that, if successful, this trial would be deemed a pivotal trial for purposes of BLA filing.”
Roger Hajjar, MD, Chair of the Board’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, commented, “On behalf of the Board and management team, I want to thank Than for his significant contributions over the past six months, stepping in to provide effective leadership and stability through this transition. We would also like to welcome Steven to his new role. We believe his extensive strategic operations and executive leadership experience will help drive Longeveron’s future success.”
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Mr. Willard, CEO, commented, “This is an extraordinary time for Longeveron and our stem cell therapy laromestrocel. It is an exciting opportunity to be able to join a company with three development programs at the stage of pivotal clinical trials. I look forward to working with the Longeveron team to ensure the long-term success of laromestrocel while focusing on extending our capital runway, and working with potential partners to leverage our stem cell technology for the benefit of patients and shareholders.”
Mr. Willard was previously CEO of ICAPATH, Inc., CEO of NRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., CEO of Cellphire, Inc., and CEO of Flamel Technologies, S.A., a NASDAQ-traded biotech company for seven years and served as CFO prior to becoming CEO. He formerly served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Flamel and formerly served on the Board of Directors of E*Trade Financial Corporation. Mr. Willard received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College and a Juris Doctorate from Yale Law School.
SOURCE: GlobeNewswire