FSD Pharma Appoints Zeeshan Saeed as Chief Executive Officer, Anthony Durkacz to Serve as Executive Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors
July 04 2023 - 10:00AM
Business Wire
Appointment culminates multi-year succession
plan as FSD focuses on commercialization of its UNBUZZD™ alcohol
misuse product and Lucid-MS for neurodegenerative disorders
FSD Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: HUGE) (CSE: HUGE) (FRA: 0K9A) (“FSD
Pharma” or the “Company”), a biopharmaceutical company
dedicated to building a portfolio of innovative assets and biotech
solutions for the treatment of challenging neurodegenerative,
inflammatory and metabolic disorders, today announces appointment
of Zeeshan Saeed as Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of the Company.
Mr. Saeed, a Co-Founder of FSD Pharma who has held the position of
President since 2019, was elected CEO via unanimous vote at a
meeting of the Board of Directors held on June 29, 2023. He will
succeed fellow FSD Pharma Co-Founder Anthony Durkacz, who has been
serving as the Interim CEO since July 2021.
Mr. Durkacz and Mr. Saeed will continue to hold their positions
as Executive Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors.
“I am incredibly honored to have led FSD Pharma for the past two
years, as we transitioned our business model and assembled a
world-class team to develop and commercialize what I can only
describe as potentially revolutionary products,” said Anthony
Durkacz. “As interim CEO, my task was to bring us to an inflection
point and now that we are there, it is time to turnover to Zeeshan
who I believe is the best fit to lead the team into a revenue
producing company. As a Co-Founder, Co-Chairman, and large
shareholder of FSD Pharma, I am excited about our direction and the
opportunity that lies ahead.”
“I want to first thank Anthony for his unwavering leadership and
oversight to navigate the Company through hard times to the
fundamentally sound, financially secure company it is today in a
short period of time,” commented Zeeshan Saeed. “He has cultivated
a winning culture at FSD Pharma and was instrumental in the
addition of key technology and people like Dr. Kotra and his world
class team of researchers’. Anthony will remain instrumental to our
future success as we narrow our focus to emphasize our strategic
goals of commercializing UNBUZZD™ as a first-in-class alcohol
misuse product and clinical work on Lucid-MS.”
Under the leadership of Mr. Saeed, FSD Pharma will be
streamlining operations to focus on the development of UNBUZZD™ for
consumer and hospital markets and Lucid-MS for neurodegenerative
disorders. The Company is confident this strategy is the shortest
path to revenue and significant value creation, underscored by the
impressive team leading the advancement of UNBUZZD™ and the
compelling laboratory data showing the ability of Lucid-MS to
positively effect demyelination. Pursuant to this strategy, the
Company will conserve/re-allocate capital by immediately putting on
hold and/or terminating any further clinical development of its
proprietary ultra-micronized PEA formulation for the treatment of
inflammatory diseases and Lucid-Psych for mental health disorders.
This way the company feels that it can deliver maximum share value
by spending less money.
About FSD Pharma
FSD Pharma Inc. is a biotechnology company with two candidates
in different stages of development. Lucid Psychss Inc., a wholly
owned subsidiary, is focused on the research and development of its
lead compounds, Lucid-MS and UNBUZZD™. Lucid-MS is a molecular
compound identified for the potential treatment of
neurodegenerative disorders. UNBUZZD™ is a proprietary formulation
of natural ingredients, vitamins, and minerals to help with liver
and brain function for the purposes of potentially quickly
relieving from the effects of alcohol consumption, such as
inebriation, and restoring normal lifestyle.
Forward Looking Information
This press release contains forward-looking statements and
forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking
statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws.
Any statements that are contained in this press release that are
not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often
identified by terms such as “plans”, “expects”, “expected”,
“scheduled”, “estimates”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “hopes”,
“planned” or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases,
or states that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”,
“would”, “might”, “potentially” or “will” be taken, occur or be
achieved. More particularly, and without limitation, this press
release contains forward-looking statements contained in this press
release include statements concerning the future of FSD Pharma Inc.
and are based on certain assumptions that FSD Pharma has made in
respect thereof as of the date of this press release. FSD Pharma
cannot give any assurance that such forward-looking statements will
prove to have been correct.
Since forward-looking statements relate to future events and
conditions, by their very nature they require making assumptions
and involve inherent risks and uncertainties. The Company cautions
that although it believes the expectations and material factors and
assumptions reflected in these forward-looking statements are
reasonable as of the date hereof, there can be no assurance that
these expectations, factors and assumptions will prove to be
correct and these risks and uncertainties give rise to the
possibility that actual results may differ materially from the
expectations set out in the forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance
and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and
uncertainties including, but not limited to: the fact that the drug
development efforts of both Lucid and FSD BioSciences are at a very
early stage; the fact that preclinical drug development is
uncertain, and the drug product candidates of Lucid and FSD
BioSciences may never advance to clinical trials; the fact that
results of preclinical studies and early-stage clinical trials may
not be predictive of the results of later stage clinical trials;
the uncertain outcome, cost, and timing of product development
activities, preclinical studies and clinical trials of Lucid and
FSD BioSciences; the uncertain clinical development process,
including the risk that clinical trials may not have an effective
design or generate positive results; the potential inability to
obtain or maintain regulatory approval of the drug product
candidates of Lucid and FSD BioSciences; the introduction of
competing drugs that are safer, more effective or less expensive
than, or otherwise superior to, the drug product candidates of
Lucid and FSD BioSciences; the initiation, conduct, and completion
of preclinical studies and clinical trials may be delayed,
adversely affected, or impacted by COVID-19 related issues; the
potential inability to obtain adequate financing; the potential
inability to obtain or maintain intellectual property protection
for the drug product candidates of Lucid and FSD BioSciences; and
other risks. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance
on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release,
which speak only as of the date of this press release.
Further information regarding factors that may cause actual
results to differ materially are included in the Company’s annual
and other reports filed from time to time with the Canadian
Securities Administrators on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and with the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR (www.sec.gov),
including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2021, under the heading “Risk Factors.”
This list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive.
Readers are cautioned that events or circumstances could cause
results to differ materially from those predicted, forecasted or
projected. The forward-looking statements contained in this
document speak only as of the date of this document. FSD Pharma
does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statements or information contained herein, except
as required by applicable laws. The forward-looking statements
contained in this document are expressly qualified by this
cautionary statement.
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation
services provider accept responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230704189380/en/
Zeeshan Saeed, Founder, President and Executive Co-Chairman of
the Board, FSD Pharma Inc. Email: Zsaeed@fsdpharma.com Telephone:
(416) 854-8884
Investor Relations: Email: ir@fsdpharma.com, info@fsdpharma.com
Website: www.fsdpharma.com
ClearThink Email:
nyc@clearthink.capital Telephone: (917) 658-7878
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