(PRESS RELEASE) Nicox SA (Euronext Paris: FR0013018124, COX), an international ophthalmology company, announced that Jean-Francois Labbé, a Board member of Nicox SA, has been appointed as Chairman of the Nicox Board of Directors, effective July 28, 2022. Michele Garufi, who has filled the role ad interim since June 1, 2022, will remain as a Board member.
“I am taking up this role at a very exciting time for the company, with Andreas Segerros having joined us recently as chief executive officer and with our first pivotal Phase 3 data on NCX 470 in glaucoma due in November of this year. I look forward to working with Andreas and the Executive Team as we prepare Nicox to continue its development on the back of the NCX 470 clinical data.” said Jean-Francois Labbé, chairman of Nicox. “On behalf of the Company and the Board of Directors, I would like to express my appreciation for the leadership, dedication and motivation that Michele Garufi brought, both as Chairman and as Chief Executive Officer, since the inception of the company. We are pleased we will continue to benefit from his experience through his position on the Nicox Board.”
“The appointment of Jean-Francois Labbé as Chairman of the Board completes the Board and management reorganization which began when I joined the company two months ago. The company is well-positioned to move forward with a strong and experienced executive management and a supportive and effective Board, in a good governance structure.” said Andreas Segerros, chief executive officer of Nicox.
Jean-Francois Labbé
Jean-François Labbé has served as a member of Nicox’ Board of Directors since June 2010 and has been the Chairman of the Audit Committee of Nicox since July 2013. M. Labbé is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SpePharm Holding BV, a pan-European specialty pharma company. Prior to founding SpePharm, M. Labbé served as Chief Executive Officer of OTL Pharma SA from 2001 to 2004 and as Chief Operating Officer of ProStrakan UK from 2004 to 2005. He began his career at Roussel Uclaf in 1974, then Hoechst Roussel and HMR, where he served in various positions in Europe, the United States and was a member of the HMR’s Executive Committee before its merger with Aventis in 1999. M. Labbé received an MBA from the Ecole des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC), Paris, France.