Hepion Pharmaceuticals Strengthens Board of Directors with Appointment of Michael Purcell

EDISON, N.J., March 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:HEPA), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on therapeutic drug development for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (“NASH”), fibrotic diseases, and other chronic diseases, today announced the appointment of Michael Purcell to the Company’s Board of Directors, effective March 5, 2024.

Mr. Purcell has more than 37 years of professional experience with Deloitte & Touche LLP, serving as a consultant from 2015 to 2017 and an Audit Partner from 1979 until 2015. Mr. Purcell also currently serves as a financial advisor to several emerging growth companies. Mr. Purcell is a certified public accountant and has provided assurance and advisory services to public and private enterprise clients of all sizes over the course of his career. Mr. Purcell previously served as a member of the Board of Tabula Rasa HealthCare, Inc. from 2018 and chairman from 2022 until its acquisition by Nautic Partners in 2023. Mr. Purcell has worked on a number of company boards and has served on the Board of Directors of CFG Bank since 2016, the Board of Directors of Hyperion Bank since 2018, and the Board of Directors of International Money Express, Inc. since 2018. Mr. Purcell also sits on the boards of several academic and community organizations. Mr. Purcell earned a Master’s in Business Administration from Drexel University and holds a Bachelor of Science from Lehigh University and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

About Hepion Pharmaceuticals

Hepion’s lead drug candidate, rencofilstat, is a potent inhibitor of cyclophilins, which are involved in many disease processes. Rencofilstat has been shown to reduce liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma tumor burden in experimental disease models and is currently in Phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of NASH. In November 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) granted Fast Track designation for rencofilstat for the treatment of NASH. That was followed in June 2022 by the FDA’s granting of Orphan Drug designation to rencofilstat for the treatment of HCC.

Hepion has created a proprietary artificial intelligence deep machine learning (“AI/ML”) platform designed to better understand disease processes and identify patients that are rencofilstat responders. This AI/ML has the potential to shorten development timelines and increase the observable differences between placebo and treatment groups.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “forecast,” “estimated,” and “intend,” among others. These forward-looking statements are based on Hepion Pharmaceuticals’ current expectations and actual results could differ materially. There are a number of factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, substantial competition; our ability to continue as a going concern; our need for additional financing; uncertainties of patent protection and litigation; risks associated with delays, increased costs and funding shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; uncertainties with respect to lengthy and expensive clinical trials, that results of earlier studies and trials may not be predictive of future trial results; uncertainties of government or third party payer reimbursement; limited sales and marketing efforts and dependence upon third parties; and risks related to failure to obtain FDA clearances or approvals and noncompliance with FDA regulations. As with any drug candidates under development, there are significant risks in the development, regulatory approval, and commercialization of new products. There are no guarantees that future clinical trials discussed in this press release will be completed or successful, or that any product will receive regulatory approval for any indication or prove to be commercially successful. Hepion Pharmaceuticals does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. Investors should read the risk factors set forth in Hepion Pharmaceuticals’ Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and other periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

For further information, please contact:

John Cavan

Hepion Pharmaceuticals

(732) 902-4000