Exciva appoints distinguished biopharma leaderMark Altmeyer as chairman of the board
Strategic appointment underscores Exciva’s ambition to advance Deraphan, its lead product to treat agitation in Alzheimer’s patients, through late-stage development and global expansion
Exciva GmbH, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutic compounds for the treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions, today announces the appointment of Mark Altmeyer as chairman of its board of directors.
Mark Altmeyer is a biopharmaceutical executive and board leader with over 35 years of experience in commercialization strategy, M&A and international expansion. Since 2014, he has served on the board of ten biopharmaceutical firms across the US, Europe and Japan, including as chairperson of several high-growth biotech companies. His executive roles include president and CEO of clinical-stage companies focused on fibrosis, inflammation, CNS disorders and other neurological therapeutic areas. Key accomplishments include serving as founder and CEO of Arvelle Therapeutics, where, within two years he led the company’s transatlantic build-out, secured $200 million in financing and successfully completed its $1 billion acquisition by Angelini Pharma. Throughout his career, Altmeyer has delivered growth and enterprise value across diverse therapeutic areas and business models, from primary care and specialty pharma to rare diseases and hospital-driven markets, by building high-performing teams and aligning investors and management around clear value-creation priorities.
In addition to his executive experience, Altmeyer brings extensive board-level leadership across the biotech lifecycle, from early-stage development through to late-stage growth and exit.
"Mark's appointment as chairman marks a pivotal moment in Exciva's development. As we advance Deraphan into its Phase 2 trial, his unparalleled experience in commercialization and international expansion provides exactly the strategic guidance we need,” said François Conquet, CEO of Exciva. “His track record in aligning investors and management to drive enterprise value will help us push our symptomatic treatment option for patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD).”
Deraphan is Exciva’s lead candidate for treating agitation in patients with AD. It is the combination of two clinically validated products, including one novel chemical entity (NCE), which have demonstrated activity in the CNS field, with the potential to offer better efficacy and risk/benefit ratio compared to existing therapies. The clinical trial is being conducted in the UK, US, Canada and Europe. A Phase 1 trial with Deraphan has been successfully completed and showed that the combination is safe and well-tolerated.
“I'm excited to join Exciva at such an important inflection point. The company's innovative approach to addressing neuropsychiatric conditions, particularly with Deraphan's potential to improve outcomes for AD patients experiencing agitation, represents a genuine unmet medical need,” said Mark Altmeyer. “I look forward to working alongside François and the entire team to accelerate clinical development and bring these therapies to patients globally.”
This appointment follows the company’s recent closing of a €53 million ($62M) Series B financing round led by Gimv and EQT Life Sciences. Currently on its board of directors are Raphaël Wisniewski (Andera Partners), Philip Scheltens (EQT Life Sciences), Christoph Kocher (Gimv), Aidan King (Fountain Healthcare), Vikram Sudarsan (independent board member) and François Conquet (CEO).
About Exciva
Exciva is a biopharmaceutical company founded in 2016 by Drs. Anton Bespalov, Hans Moebius and Rao Vepachedu to address neuropsychiatric symptoms in AD dementia and other brain disorders. It uses its powerful discovery potential, which has led to the combination of two CNS-active compounds, to treat agitation in patients living with AD dementia. Exciva is based in Heidelberg, Germany.