Pharming announces CEO transition
The commercial and finance chiefs will share leadership while the board searches for a permanent CEO.
Sentiment and the balance of points
Rhea-AI Sentiment reads the wording of the document, how positive or negative its language is on a 1 to 5 scale. The balance of points shown with the takes weighs what the document actually discloses, so the two can disagree, for example when a trial that missed its main goal is described in upbeat language.
Rhea-AI Summary
Pharming (PHAR) announced Fabrice Chouraqui’s immediate departure as CEO and executive director and appointed two interim co-CEOs.
Chief Commercial Officer Leverne Marsh will lead patient-focused operations, while Chief Financial Officer Kenneth Lynard will lead global corporate functions. The board has begun a formal search for a permanent successor.
The board and Chouraqui mutually agreed to the transition after concluding that their views on how to execute Pharming’s strategic priorities were not sufficiently aligned. Pharming said its strategy and pipeline remain unchanged.
How this balance works
Rhea-AI gives every point it takes from this document a weight. Minor counts 1, Moderate 3 and Major 9, so one Major point outweighs several Minor ones. The bar adds up the weights on each side, and when neither side holds more than 65% of the total the balance reads Mixed.
It reads the document as published, with the same rules for every company, and it does not look at what the market expected or at how the stock traded, so a point can be objectively good on a day the stock falls.
Rhea-AI Sentiment measures something else, the tone of the wording.
Positive
- Moderate pointInterim co-CEOs Leverne Marsh and Kenneth Lynard were appointed immediately to maintain leadership continuity.
Negative
- Major pointCEO departure: Fabrice Chouraqui stepped down immediately after differing views on strategy execution.
- Minor pointPermanent CEO remains to be appointed; the board has begun a formal search.
Key Terms
inside information regulatory
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Leiden, the Netherlands, September 29, 2026: Pharming (Euronext Amsterdam: PHARM/Nasdaq: PHAR), a global biotechnology company focused on rare immune and genetic diseases, today announced that the Board of Directors and Fabrice Chouraqui have mutually agreed that Mr. Chouraqui will step down as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, with immediate effect.
To ensure continuity of leadership, the Board of Directors has appointed Mrs. Leverne Marsh, Chief Commercial Officer, and Mr. Kenneth Lynard, Chief Financial Officer, as Interim Co-CEOs, effective immediately. Mrs. Marsh will lead the patient-focused operations while Mr. Lynard will lead the global corporate functions. The Board has started a formal search for a permanent successor.
Following discussions about the execution of Pharming's strategic priorities for the next phase of the company, the Board of Directors and Mr. Chouraqui have concluded that their views on how to advance the company's strategy are not sufficiently aligned. In good consultation, the parties have therefore agreed on a leadership transition.
Pharming’s strategy, pipeline and commitment to patients remain unchanged. Focus remains on executing the strategic priorities and advancing the next phase of growth.
“On behalf of the Board, I would like to express our appreciation for Mr. Chouraqui’s contributions. We wish him well on his next endeavors,” said Richard Peters, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Pharming. “Our immediate priority is to ensure continuity across leadership, while maintaining focus on the continued execution of Pharming’s strategy and its commitment to patients.”
Fabrice Chouraqui added: “It has been a privilege to lead Pharming and to work alongside colleagues who are deeply committed to improving the lives of people with rare diseases. I have continually been inspired by the unwavering patient focus of our teams around the world and am deeply grateful for the passion and dedication they bring to our shared purpose every day. I leave with great confidence in their ability to continue expanding Pharming’s impact for patients and their families.”
To support an orderly transition process, Pharming and Mr. Chouraqui will not comment further beyond this announcement.
About Pharming
Pharming Group N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: PHARM/Nasdaq: PHAR) is a global biotechnology company that develops and commercializes innovative medicines for people living with rare immune and genetic diseases.
We combine specialized scientific, medical, regulatory and commercial expertise to advance a focused portfolio of approved medicines and development programs that address significant unmet medical needs. Guided by insights from patients and the wider rare disease community, we are dedicated to delivering innovative therapies for some of the most challenging rare diseases.
For more information, visit www.pharming.com and find us on LinkedIn.
For further public information, contact:
Pharming
Saskia Mehring, Head of Corporate Communications
T: +31 6 28 32 60 41
E: media.relations@pharming.com
Forward-looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “aim”, “ambition”, ‘‘anticipate’’, ‘‘believe’’, ‘‘could’’, ‘‘estimate’’, ‘‘expect’’, ‘‘goals’’, ‘‘intend’’, ‘‘may’’, “milestones”, ‘‘objectives’’, ‘‘outlook’’, ‘‘plan’’, ‘‘probably’’, ‘‘project’’, ‘‘risks’’, “schedule”, ‘‘seek’’, ‘‘should’’, ‘‘target’’, ‘‘will’’ and similar terms and phrases. Examples of forward-looking statements may include statements with respect to timing and progress of Pharming's preclinical studies and clinical trials of its product candidates, Pharming's clinical and commercial prospects, and Pharming's expectations regarding its projected working capital requirements and cash resources, which statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, but not limited to the scope, progress and expansion of Pharming's clinical trials and ramifications for the cost thereof; and clinical, scientific, regulatory, commercial, competitive and technical developments. In light of these risks and uncertainties, and other risks and uncertainties that are described in Pharming's 2025 Annual Report and the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the events and circumstances discussed in such forward-looking statements may not occur, and Pharming's actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied thereby. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on information available to Pharming as of the date of this release. Pharming does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information.
Inside Information
This press release relates to the disclosure of information that qualifies, or may have qualified, as inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.
Attachment
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Why did Pharming CEO Fabrice Chouraqui step down?
Chouraqui and Pharming’s board mutually agreed to the transition after concluding that their views on how to execute the company’s strategic priorities were not sufficiently aligned.
Who is leading Pharming after its CEO transition?
Leverne Marsh and Kenneth Lynard are serving as interim co-CEOs. Marsh, the chief commercial officer, leads patient-focused operations; Lynard, the chief financial officer, leads global corporate functions.