Directorate change

Summary by AI BETAClose X

Solvonis Therapeutics plc announced that Nicholas Nelson has stepped down as a Non-Executive Director, effective October 30, 2026, after serving as Chairman and then Non-Executive Director since March 2024. During his tenure, the company repositioned as a focused developer of therapeutics for addiction and mental health disorders, acquired Awakn Life Sciences in May 2025, advanced its alcohol use disorder franchise with SVN-001 in a Phase 3 trial and SVN-002 having an FDA-agreed 505(b)(2) route, secured NIDA funding for its stimulant use disorder candidate SVN-015 in December 2025, and selected SVN-114 as its lead PTSD candidate in March 2026, while also expanding SVN-015 into major depressive disorder in January 2026. The company stated its Board is now weighted towards the necessary drug development, regulatory, and commercial expertise for its next phase.

Disclaimer*

Solvonis Therapeutics PLC
30 October 2026
 

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30 October 2026

Solvonis Therapeutics plc

(“Solvonis” or the “Company”)

Directorate Change

Solvonis thanks former Chairman Nicholas Nelson as he steps down from a Board weighted to global biopharmaceutical expertise

Solvonis Therapeutics plc (LSE: SVNS), a clinical-stage psychedelics company developing therapeutics for addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”) and depression, announces that Nicholas Nelson has stepped down as a Non-Executive Director of the Company with effect from 30 October 2026.

Nicholas Nelson’s contribution

Nicholas joined the Board as Chairman in March 2024 and has served as a Non-Executive Director since September 2024, when Dennis Purcell succeeded him as Chair. He brought nearly four decades of City and public-company experience to the Board at a pivotal moment, and helped steer the Company through its transformation.

During Nicholas’ tenure, the Company:

  • Repositioned: became a focused developer of therapeutics to treat addiction and mental health disorders.
  • Acquired Awakn Life Sciences: completed the acquisition in May 2025, significantly expanding the Company’s clinical pipeline.
  • AUD franchise: built an alcohol use disorder (“AUD”) franchise spanning the UK, Europe and the U.S.
    • SVN-001 is now in the MORE-KARE Phase 3 trial in severe AUD.
    • SVN-002 is an esketamine oral thin film (“OTF”). At a pre-IND (Investigational New Drug) meeting in December 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) agreed its 505(b)(2) route and confirmed that no additional clinical data are needed before Phase 2b.
  • De novo StUD programme: secured the acceptance of SVN-015 for stimulant use disorder (“StUD”) into a programme funded by the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (“NIDA”) in December 2025. It then advanced SVN-015 into further NIDA-funded studies in August 2026.
  • De novo PTSD candidate: selected SVN-114, a novel entactogen, as the lead candidate in its PTSD discovery programme in March 2026.
  • De novo depression programme: expanded SVN-015 into major depressive disorder (“MDD”) with anhedonia in January 2026.

A Board built for the next phase

The Company now has a clinical-stage pipeline, and its Board is weighted to the drug development, regulatory and commercial expertise needed to take it forward. The Board includes:

  • Dennis Purcell, Chair: founder and former Senior Managing Partner of Aisling Capital, a leading life sciences investment firm.
  • Dr Renata Crome, Non-Executive Director: pharmaceutical industry veteran and former Roche executive, with 40 years’ experience in clinical development, regulatory approval and commercialisation.
  • Paul Carter, Non-Executive Director: global biopharmaceutical leader with nearly three decades of senior executive experience, and Non-Executive Chair of Clinigen Group.

Dennis Purcell, Chair of Solvonis, commented: “On behalf of the Board, I thank Nicholas for his commitment and counsel. As Chairman he set this transformation in motion, and his City and public-company experience was invaluable as we rebuilt the Company around a clinical-stage pipeline. Solvonis is now entering a new phase. We have a Phase 3 trial in severe alcohol use disorder, a U.S. programme with an FDA-agreed route, and de novo programmes, including NIDA-funded work in stimulant use disorder. Our Board brings deep expertise in drug development, regulatory approval and commercialisation. We wish Nicholas every success.”

Anthony Tennyson, CEO of Solvonis, commented: “Nicholas has been a valued colleague from day one of this journey, and I thank him for the part he has played in getting us here. The Company today is built on two clear strands, value-added medicines and de novo programmes, with an AUD franchise that covers both sides of the Atlantic. With a Board rich in global biopharma experience, we are well placed to drive our programmes forward and deliver the catalysts ahead.”

 

Enquiries:

Solvonis Therapeutics plc
Anthony Tennyson, CEO & Executive Director
info@solvonis.com

Turner Pope Investments (TPI) Limited (Corporate Broker)
Andrew Thacker / Guy McDougall
+44 (0)20 3657 0050

 

About Solvonis Therapeutics plc

Solvonis Therapeutics plc (LSE: SVNS) is a clinical-stage psychedelics company developing therapeutics for addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”) and depression. Headquartered in London and listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, Solvonis runs two complementary strategies: value-added medicines, building an alcohol use disorder (“AUD”) franchise across the UK, Europe and the U.S.; and de novo drug development, an engine of proprietary new medicines.

AUD franchise

  • SVN-001 is a ketamine-based treatment in Phase 3 (MORE-KARE) for severe AUD in the UK. The trial is sponsored by the University of Exeter and co-funded by Solvonis, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (“NIHR”) and the Medical Research Council (“MRC”). European expansion is being assessed.
  • SVN-002 is an esketamine oral thin film (“OTF”) with an FDA-agreed 505(b)(2) route, based on a scientific bridge to SPRAVATO®. It is in Phase 2b planning for moderate-to-severe AUD in the U.S. Its formulation patents are granted in the U.S. and Europe.

De novo engine

  • SVN-015 for stimulant use disorder (“StUD”) is funded by the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (“NIDA”) and has advanced into further NIDA-funded studies.
  • SVN-114 is a preclinical novel entactogen for PTSD.
  • SVN-015 for major depressive disorder (“MDD”) with anhedonia.

SVN-001, SVN-002, SVN-015 and SVN-114 are investigational. None has been approved by any regulator, and their safety and efficacy have not been established. SPRAVATO® is a trademark of Johnson & Johnson.

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