CNS Pharmaceuticals Announces CEO Transition

Rhea-AI Summary

CNS Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:CNSP) announced a CEO transition: John Climaco has stepped down and Rami Levin, MBA, will become President & Chief Executive Officer effective January 1, 2026. Levin brings nearly 30 years of global biopharma experience across oncology, neurology, rare diseases, and cell & gene therapy and highlights include scaling organizations, raising capital, and advancing late‑stage programs. The release cites Levin's prior roles at Saniona, ImStem, Sobi, Merck Serono and a record of growing Sobi North American revenue from $46M to >$500M. CNS expects Levin to advance TPI 287 and strengthen commercial and development strategy.

Positive

• Effective date: CEO Rami Levin joins on Jan 1, 2026
• Experience: Levin has ~30 years in oncology, neurology, rare diseases, and cell & gene therapy
• Commercial track record: Scaled Sobi North America revenue from $46M to >$500M
• Pipeline focus: Leadership committed to advancing TPI 287

Negative

• Leadership change risk: CEO transition may cause near‑term execution or continuity risk

Key Figures

Industry experience nearly 30 years Rami Levin’s global leadership across multiple therapeutic areas

Sales growth 10-fold Growth in sales and teams achieved in prior roles

Revenue growth from ~$46M to >$500M Sobi North America revenues under Levin’s leadership

Team expansion over 300 employees Organization size built at Sobi North America

Start date January 1, 2026 Effective date for Levin joining CNS as President & CEO

Market Reality Check

$5.30 Last Close

Volume Volume 6,882 is 0.66x the 20-day average of 10,495, showing subdued trading ahead of the CEO transition news. low

Technical Shares at $7.39 were trading below the $11.65 200-day moving average, reflecting a weak longer-term trend into this leadership change.

Peers on Argus

Biotech peers showed mixed moves, with names like QNRX up 11.62% and XBIO down 11.16%, suggesting CNSP’s setup around the CEO transition was more stock-specific than driven by a broad sector trend.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Nov 17	Q3 2025 earnings	Positive	-2.9%	Reported narrower net loss and positive TPI 287 Phase 1 activity.
Nov 10	Scientific posters	Positive	-1.2%	Three abstracts accepted for SNO, covering berubicin and TPI 287 data.
Sep 03	Investor conference	Neutral	-2.1%	Announcement of participation in H.C. Wainwright investor conference.
Aug 15	Q2 2025 earnings	Positive	-15.6%	Improved loss profile and strong cash plus encouraging TPI 287 data.
Aug 14	Webinar appearance	Neutral	-11.2%	CEO scheduled to present at Webull Biotech/MedTech webinar series.

Pattern Detected

Recent company news — including earnings, conference participation, and scientific updates — has often been followed by negative 24-hour price reactions, even when fundamentals or pipeline commentary appeared constructive.

Recent Company History

Over the last several months, CNS Pharmaceuticals highlighted financial tightening and pipeline progress. Q2 and Q3 2025 results showed narrower net losses and cash expected to fund operations into the second half of 2026, alongside promising TPI 287 Phase 1 data in GBM. The company also maintained visibility via conferences and SNO abstracts. Despite this, each of the last 5 news events saw negative next-day price moves, framing today’s CEO transition against a backdrop of market skepticism toward prior updates.

Market Pulse Summary

The stock moved -6.4% in the session following this news. A negative reaction despite detailed credentials for the incoming CEO would fit a pattern where CNSP news has often preceded weak next-day trading. Shares were already down sharply from the 52-week high of $114 and below the $11.65 200-day moving average at $7.39. In that context, investors may have focused on execution risks and past underperformance, using the leadership change as a point to reassess exposure.

Key Terms

oncology medical

"experience across oncology, neurology, rare diseases, endocrinology, and cell and gene therapy"

Oncology is the branch of medicine focused on understanding, diagnosing, and treating cancer, including the development and testing of drugs, therapies, and screening methods. It matters to investors because advances, trial results, regulatory approvals, or setbacks in cancer research can dramatically change the value of companies and the size of potential markets—think of oncology news as weather reports that help investors steer financial decisions in a high-stakes field.

neurology medical

"experience across oncology, neurology, rare diseases, endocrinology, and cell and gene therapy"

Neurology is the branch of medicine that studies the brain, spinal cord and nerves and the disorders that affect them, from headaches and seizures to movement and memory problems. Investors track neurology because research breakthroughs, clinical trial results and new treatments can change a healthcare product’s market potential, regulatory approval path and revenue outlook—like a key software update that can make a gadget suddenly much more valuable.

rare diseases medical

"experience across oncology, neurology, rare diseases, endocrinology, and cell and gene therapy"

Medical conditions that affect a very small percentage of the population, often chronic, serious, and with limited or no approved treatments. For investors, rare diseases are like niche markets: patient groups are small but demand can be intense, allowing higher prices, quicker regulatory pathways, and exclusive rights that can drive significant returns—while also carrying development, reimbursement, and commercial risks tied to that small customer base.

endocrinology medical

"experience across oncology, neurology, rare diseases, endocrinology, and cell and gene therapy"

Endocrinology is the branch of medicine that studies hormones, which are chemicals produced by glands in the body that regulate important functions like growth, energy, and mood. Understanding how hormones work can reveal insights into health conditions and overall well-being. For investors, it highlights areas of medical research and pharmaceutical development that may influence healthcare trends and market opportunities.

cell and gene therapy medical

"experience across oncology, neurology, rare diseases, endocrinology, and cell and gene therapy"

Therapies that use living cells or altered genes to treat or cure disease by repairing, replacing or reprogramming parts of the body; think of it as swapping or reprogramming malfunctioning hardware or software inside the body. Investors watch these treatments closely because they can command high prices and offer one-time or long-lasting benefits, but they also carry big development costs, complex manufacturing and regulatory risks that can cause large swings in a company’s value.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Industry veteran Rami Levin, MBA appointed as President & Chief Executive Officer

HOUSTON, TX / ACCESS Newswire / December 17, 2025 / CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:CNSP) ("CNS" or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of novel treatments for primary and metastatic cancers in the brain and central nervous system, today announced John Climaco has stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of CNS Pharmaceuticals and Rami Levin, MBA, has been appointed as President & Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Levin brings nearly 30 years of global leadership experience across oncology, neurology, rare diseases, endocrinology, and cell and gene therapy, with a proven track record of scaling organizations, advancing late-stage clinical programs, and driving transformative value creation. Over the course of his career he has played a pivotal role in building organizations from the ground up, orchestrating 10-fold growth in sales and in teams, launching products globally and navigating the complexities of capital raising and business development both domestically and internationally.

"We are grateful to John and his dedicated service to CNS Pharmaceuticals and wish him all the best in his next endeavors. His passion for patients will continue to fuel CNS as it transitions to its next phase of evolution," said Faith Charles, Chair of the Board of Directors of CNS Pharmaceuticals. "Looking ahead, Rami is a seasoned biotech leader with a rare combination of scientific depth, commercial execution, and capital markets expertise. His ability to navigate complex inflection points from clinical readouts to organizational scale-up makes him exceptionally well suited to lead CNS through its next phase of growth."

Mr. Levin will join CNS effective January 1, 2026 following senior leadership roles as President and Chief Executive Officer of Saniona and CEO of ImStem Biotechnology. He led strategic turnarounds, sharpened pipeline focus, secured significant financing, and advanced multiple programs toward clinical and regulatory milestones. He has also held senior commercial and operational leadership roles at Sobi, Merck Serono, and Schering AG, where he successfully launched and scaled global brands including Rebif^®, Betaseron^®, Kuvan^®, Orfadin^®, and Gamifant^®.

Throughout his career, Mr. Levin has demonstrated the ability to build and lead high-performing teams, reposition assets following challenging clinical data, and align development strategy with long-term commercial and access considerations. At Sobi, he transformed the North American business into the company's largest and most profitable region, growing revenues from approximately $46 million to more than $500 million while expanding the organization to over 300 employees. Earlier in his career, he played a central role in global brand strategy and lifecycle management for Rebif®, one of the world's leading multiple sclerosis therapies.

"I am excited to join CNS at such a pivotal moment and build on the opportunity to realize the Company's full potential with TPI 287 and beyond," commented Mr. Levin. "CNS Pharmaceuticals has built a compelling scientific foundation and a meaningful opportunity to address significant unmet medical needs. I look forward to working closely with the board and team to advance the pipeline, strengthen the organization, and build long-term value for patients, partners, and shareholders."

Mr. Levin holds an MBA from the Recanati Business School at Tel Aviv University and a BSc in Biology from Tel Aviv University. He has completed executive training programs at INSEAD, IMD, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and other leading global institutions, and is a certified executive and business coach. Mr. Levin worked and lived in Israel, Switzerland, Sweden and the US.

About CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

CNS Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing a pipeline of anti-cancer drug candidates for the treatment of primary and metastatic cancers of the brain and central nervous system.

The Company's drug candidate TPI 287 is an abeotaxane, which stabilizes microtubules and inhibits cell division, causing apoptosis and cell death. The initial clinical efficacy data suggest TPI 287 has the potential to cross the blood-brain barrier and treat CNS tumors. TPI 287 also has been tested in over 350 patients in clinical trials as a monotherapy and in combination with bevacizumab for the treatment of a range of diseases or conditions, including recurrent glioblastoma, recurrent neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma, advanced malignancies, advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer, metastatic melanoma, and breast cancer metastatic to the brain. To date TPI 287 appears to have both an excellent safety profile and high tolerability among patients.

For more information, please visit www.CNSPharma.com, and connect with the Company on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve risks and uncertainties. These statements relate to future events, future expectations, plans and prospects. Although CNS believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, expectations may prove to have been materially different from the results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. CNS has attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including ''believes,'' ''estimates,'' ''anticipates,'' ''expects,'' ''plans,'' ''projects,'' ''intends,'' ''potential,'' ''may,'' ''could,'' ''might,'' ''will,'' ''should,'' ''approximately'' or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including market and other conditions and those discussed under Item 1A. "Risk Factors" in CNS's most recently filed Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and updated from time to time in its Form 10-Q filings and in its other public filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of its date. CNS undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances occurring after its date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

CONTACTS:

Investor Relations Contact

JTC Team, LLC
Jenene Thomas
908.824.0775
CNSP@jtcir.com

SOURCE: CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

FAQ

When does Rami Levin officially become CEO of CNS Pharmaceuticals (CNSP)?

Rami Levin will join as President & CEO effective January 1, 2026.

Who stepped down as CEO of CNS Pharmaceuticals (CNSP) and when was the change announced?

John Climaco stepped down and the transition was announced on December 17, 2025.

What relevant experience does new CNS Pharmaceuticals CEO Rami Levin bring to CNSP?

Levin brings nearly 30 years of global biopharma leadership, roles at Saniona, ImStem, Sobi, Merck Serono, and experience scaling commercial organizations.

How did Rami Levin perform commercially at Sobi according to the announcement?

The announcement cites Sobi North American revenue growth from approximately $46 million to more than $500 million under his leadership.

What program did the new CNS Pharmaceuticals CEO cite as a focus at appointment?

Levin highlighted advancing the company's program TPI 287 as a priority.