NervGen Announces Leadership Transition to Support Strategic Growth and Expansion
Chairman Dr. Adam Rogers Appointed Interim CEO Following Landmark Positive Chronic Spinal Cord Injury Trial Results
VANCOUVER, Canada: July 17, 2025 — NervGen Pharma Corp. (the “Company”) (TSX-V: NGEN) (OTCQB: NGENF), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing innovative therapies for spinal cord injury (SCI) and other nervous system disorders, today announced a leadership transition as the Company enters the next phase of development for its first and potential best-in-class candidate, NVG-291.
President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Kelly has stepped down as a director and officer of the Company and Dr. Adam Rogers, Chair of the Board and representative of NervGen’s largest shareholder, has been appointed Interim CEO.
“We are deeply grateful to Mike for his exceptional leadership during a pivotal time for NervGen,” said Dr. Adam Rogers, Chairman and Interim CEO of NervGen. “Under Mike’s guidance, the Company advanced NVG-291 through landmark proof-of-concept topline results from the chronic cohort of the CONNECT SCI study. Mike’s leadership established the organizational framework needed for future growth and set a clear strategic direction to position NervGen one step closer to addressing its mission of transforming the lives of individuals living with spinal cord injury.”
“The chronic cohort of the CONNECT SCI study represents the strongest signal of efficacy observed to date in spinal cord injury,” Dr. Rogers added. “We are entering the most exciting and important phase in NervGen’s history and are committed to proactively engaging with regulators and the SCI community to advance NVG-291 toward its full potential.”
Regarding his departure, Mr. Kelly commented, “It’s been an honor to lead NervGen during a pivotal time of clinical and operational growth. I’m proud of the team we’ve built and the opportunity to successfully advance NVG-291 through an unprecedented proof-of-concept efficacy trial in chronic spinal cord injury. With positive data in hand, NervGen is well-positioned for future growth. I remain a strong advocate of the Company and its mission to redefine the standard of care in spinal cord injury.”
The leadership transition comes as NervGen continues to analyze data from the chronic cohort of the CONNECT SCI study in preparation for sharing additional insights and engaging in regulatory discussions.
About NVG-291
NervGen holds exclusive worldwide rights to NVG-291, a first- and potential best-in-class therapeutic peptide targeting nervous system repair. NVG-291’s technology is licensed from Case Western Reserve University and is based on academic studies that demonstrated the preclinical efficacy of NVG-291-R, the rodent variant of NVG-291, in animal models of spinal cord injury. These studies implicated multiple potential molecular and cellular mechanisms by which NVG-291-R promotes neurorepair and functional improvement in both central and peripheral nervous system injury models. The implicated mechanisms include the promotion of neuronal sprouting, or plasticity, remyelination, and promotion of a non-inflammatory phenotype in the microglial cells. NervGen has received Fast Track designation from the FDA and Orphan Designation from the EMA for NVG-291 in individuals with spinal cord injury.
About NervGen
NervGen (TSXV: NGEN, OTCQB: NGENF) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing innovative therapies to promote nervous system repair in settings of neurotrauma and neurologic disease. The Company is testing the clinical efficacy of its lead candidate, NVG-291, in the Phase 1b/2a CONNECT SCI Study clinical trial in spinal cord injury. Topline data from the chronic cohort (1-10 years post-injury) of this trial showed that NVG-291 met its primary endpoint and demonstrated strong trends in functional assessments. Continued analysis of data from the chronic cohort is ongoing. Enrollment in the subacute cohort (20-90 days post-injury) of the trial continues, and more information about participation in the subacute study is available at www.connectscistudy.com. In addition, the company has initiated preclinical testing of concept evaluation of its pipeline candidate, NVG-300, in models of ischemic stroke and spinal cord injury. For more information about NervGen, visit www.nervgen.com and follow NervGen on X and LinkedIn for the latest news on the company.
Contacts
Huitt Tracey, Investor Relations
htracey@nervgen.com
604.537.2094
Bill Adams, Chief Financial Officer
info@nervgen.com
778.731.1711
Christy Curran
Sam Brown Healthcare Communications
christycurran@sambrown.com
615.414.8668
646.942.5604
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.