Ovid Therapeutics Strengthens Executive Leadership Team to Support Continued Pipeline Progress and Next Phase of Development
- Kevin Norrett, a proven leader in advancing corporate strategy through value-creating transactions, will be appointed as Chief Business Officer
- Charles Carter promoted to Chief Financial Officer, reflecting his strong leadership and oversight of Ovid’s financial operations, following Jeffrey Rona’s transition to an advisory role
- Eliseo Salinas, MD, joined as Executive R&D Advisor, building on a distinguished career leading the development of multiple, breakthrough neurologic and psychiatric medicines
- Victoria Fort promoted to Chief Strategy Officer, reflecting her leadership in advancing Ovid’s corporate strategy and investor relations
NEW YORK, July 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ovid Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:OVID), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to pioneering better, gentler medicines for brain disorders with significant unmet need, today announced several strategic appointments strengthening its executive leadership team to support the Company’s next phase of development.
Kevin Norrett, MS, MBA, will join Ovid as Chief Business Officer to spearhead business and corporate development functions as well as strategic partnerships. Charles Carter, MS, MBA, was promoted to Chief Financial Officer, and will lead business and financial operations. Charles succeeds Jeffrey Rona, who will remain a long-term advisor to the Company through 2027 to ensure a smooth operational transition. Building on his prior role as an advisor to the Company, Eliseo Salinas, MD, MSc, has joined as Executive R&D Advisor, providing strategic and operational guidance for the Company’s research and development programs. Victoria Fort was promoted to Chief Strategy Officer, leading enterprise strategy, investor relations, and operational growth initiatives.
"With the progress across our clinical development programs, we are adding to a world-class team of experienced leaders who are dedicated to driving Ovid’s success," said Meg Alexander, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ovid Therapeutics. "I am thrilled to welcome Kevin and Eliseo to Ovid, two industry veterans with impressive track records of delivering novel therapeutics to patients. Kevin’s expertise in realizing high-impact collaborations and transactions will strengthen our efforts to accelerate the characterization and value creation of our programs, while Eliseo’s experience successfully developing medicines for intractable psychiatric and neurological conditions is invaluable as we advance our KCC2 activators, she added. "I’d also like to congratulate Charles and Victoria on their expanded leadership roles. Their deep understanding of Ovid’s business further positions us to execute on our strategy. I am grateful to Jeff for his partnership and many contributions to Ovid, including his commitment to serve as an ongoing advisor. His creativity in structuring strategic transactions and thoughtful guidance helped build the strong foundation we have today. Together, this team brings the experience, execution, and focus needed to deliver our potential medicines to patients."
Kevin Norrett will join as Ovid’s Chief Business Officer, bringing more than 30 years of leadership experience in life sciences executing strategic partnerships, launching commercial medicines, overseeing operations, and working in capital markets. Most recently, he served as Chief Business Officer at Soleno Therapeutics, where he led the company’s acquisition by Neurocrine Biosciences. Previously, Kevin was an executive at Codexis, Sierra Oncology and Angion Biomedica and held senior leadership roles at Aimmune Therapeutics, ZS Pharma, Exelixis and Genentech.
Charles Carter has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer from Senior Vice President of Finance and Financial Planning. Charles has more than 30 years of experience across finance, strategy, and operational leadership. Since joining Ovid, he has helped oversee the Company’s financial planning and strategic initiatives. Prior to joining Ovid, Charles served as Chief Financial Officer of CERo Therapeutics, as well as a number of public and private life sciences companies.
Eliseo Salinas transitions from consulting for Ovid to the permanent role of Executive R&D Advisor to the CEO. He brings more than three decades of experience in drug development, advancing next-generation treatments for neuropsychiatric and neurologic disorders. Throughout Eliseo’s career, he has held research and development leadership positions at leading organizations and contributed to the development of 15 international regulatory approvals, including multiple approved neurological and psychiatric medicines.
Victoria Fort has been promoted to Chief Strategy Officer from Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs & Strategy. Since joining Ovid, she has helped shape the Company’s corporate strategy and organizational direction and has strengthened its financial position, leading two successful financing rounds that extended Ovid’s cash runway into 2029. Previously, Victoria was Senior Vice President of Strategy & Corporate Affairs at Frontier Medicines, following decades as a consultant to emerging and leading biopharmaceutical companies.
About Ovid Therapeutics
Ovid Therapeutics Inc. is a New York-based biopharmaceutical company dedicated to pioneering better, gentler medicines for the brain. The Company discovers and develops differentiated, small molecule medicines for neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders with significant unmet need. Ovid is developing: OV329, a next-generation GABA-aminotransferase inhibitor, as a potential therapy for treatment-resistant focal onset seizures (FOS) and developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs), including tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) associated seizures and infantile spasms (IS); and OV4071 and others within a library of compounds that directly activate the KCC2 transporter, for multiple CNS disorders. For more information about these and other Ovid research programs, please visit www.ovidrx.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes certain disclosures by Ovid that contain "forward-looking statements" including, without limitation, statements regarding Ovid’s ability to accelerate the characterization and value creation of its programs; Ovid’s ability to execute on its current strategy; the impact Ovid’s appointments will have on its pipeline, programs and its long-term success; and other statements that are not historical fact. You can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as "anticipates," "believes," "expects," "intends," "may," "plan," "potentially," and "will," and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances). Forward-looking statements are based on Ovid’s current expectations and assumptions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements, which are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, uncertainties inherent in the preclinical and clinical development and regulatory approval processes, impediments to Ovid’s ability to achieve expected benefits of cost-savings efforts, risks related to Ovid’s ability to achieve its financial objectives, and the risk that Ovid may not be able to realize the intended benefits of its business strategy. Additional risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are set forth under the caption "Risk Factors" in Ovid’s most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and in subsequent and future filings Ovid makes with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and Ovid assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether because of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.
Contact
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IR@ovidrx.com
