BALA CYNWYD, Pa., Sept. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Larimar Therapeutics, Inc. (Larimar) (Nasdaq: LRMR), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing treatments for complex rare diseases, today announced the appointment of John Harlow as President and Chief Operating Officer, effective September 29, 2026, reporting to Carole Ben-Maimon, M.D., Larimar’s Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Harlow joins Larimar with more than 25 years of commercial, operational and business development experience across the biopharmaceutical industry.

“As nomlabofusp advances toward potential approval, we are excited to welcome John to our executive team,” said Carole Ben-Maimon, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Larimar. “His commercial and operational leadership, coupled with his proven ability to translate strategy into execution, will be instrumental as we scale the organization and prepare to bring nomlabofusp to patients worldwide.”

Mr. Harlow added, “Larimar has a unique opportunity to deliver the first potential disease-modifying therapy for adults and pediatric patients living with Friedreich’s ataxia. I look forward to working with Carole and this talented team to deliver a successful launch and position the company for long-term growth.”

Most recently, he served as Chief Commercial Officer of Esperion Therapeutics, where he led commercial operations, business development and global alliance management. Previously, he served as Chief Commercial Officer of Melinta Therapeutics, where he built a robust commercial infrastructure with a high-performing team while achieving significant revenue growth and sustained profitability ahead of its 2025 acquisition by CorMedix. Earlier in his career, Mr. Harlow held executive leadership roles at Baudax Bio, Recro Pharma and Endo Pharmaceuticals, as well as commercial and marketing leadership roles at Shionogi, Alpharma/King Pharmaceuticals, Novartis and Janssen. His earlier experience also includes serving as an equity research analyst at Merrill Lynch. Mr. Harlow holds an MBA in Pharmaceutical Management from Seton Hall University and a BS in Biology from Lehigh University.

Inducement Grant Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)

In connection with Mr. Harlow’s appointment, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company approved an inducement award, in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4), to Mr. Harlow, to be granted on September 29, 2026 consisting of a (i) non-qualified stock option (“Option Award”) to purchase 800,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price equal to the closing price per share of the Company’s common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Global Market on the date of grant and (ii) restricted stock unit award in respect of 50,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (“RSU Award” and together with the Option Award, the “Equity Awards”). The Equity Awards were granted as an inducement material to his acceptance of employment as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company. The Option Award will vest over a four-year period, with 25% of the Option Award vesting on the first anniversary of the date of grant, and the remaining 75% of the Option Award vesting in substantially equal monthly installments over thirty-six (36) months. The RSU Award will vest in four (4) substantially equal annual installments, beginning on the first anniversary of the date of grant. The Equity Awards are subject to Mr. Harlow’s continued service with the Company through the applicable vesting dates and were granted outside the terms of the Company’s 2020 Equity Incentive Plan.

About Larimar Therapeutics
Larimar Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: LRMR), is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing treatments for complex rare diseases. Larimar’s lead compound, nomlabofusp, is being developed as a potential treatment for Friedreich's ataxia. Larimar also plans to use its intracellular delivery platform to design other fusion proteins to target additional rare diseases characterized by deficiencies in intracellular bioactive compounds. For more information, please visit: https://larimartx.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on Larimar’s management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. All statements contained in this release other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements regarding Larimar’s ability to develop and commercialize nomlabofusp and any other planned product candidates, Larimar’s planned research and development efforts, including the timing of its nomlabofusp clinical trials, dosing of the first patient in a global confirmatory Phase 3 study, interactions and filings with the FDA, the safety and therapeutic potential of nomlabofusp, expectations regarding the timing of completion of the BLA submission, the expectations of the timing of, and potential for, accelerated approval or accelerated access, time to launch and market and overall development plans and other matters regarding Larimar’s business strategies, ability to raise capital, use of capital, results of operations and financial position, and plans and objectives for future operations.

In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the words “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others, the success, cost and timing of Larimar’s product development activities, nonclinical studies and clinical trials, including nomlabofusp clinical milestones and continued interactions with the FDA; that preliminary clinical trial results may differ from final clinical trial results, that earlier non-clinical and clinical data and testing of nomlabofusp may not be predictive of the results or success of later non-clinical or clinical trials, and assessments; delays in patient recruitment, including as a result of changes in clinical protocols and adverse events; that the FDA may not ultimately agree with Larimar’s nomlabofusp development strategy; Larimar’s ability to submit BLA modules on the intended timeline; Larimar’s ability to realize the benefits of Breakthrough Therapy Designation; the potential impact of public health crises on Larimar’s future clinical trials, manufacturing, regulatory, nonclinical study timelines and operations, and general economic conditions; Larimar’s ability and the ability of third-party manufacturers Larimar engages, to optimize and scale nomlabofusp’s manufacturing process; Larimar’s ability to obtain regulatory approvals for nomlabofusp and future product candidates; Larimar’s ability to develop sales and marketing capabilities, whether alone or with potential future collaborators, and to successfully commercialize any approved product candidates; Larimar’s ability to raise the necessary capital to conduct its product development activities; and other risks described in the filings made by Larimar with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including but not limited to Larimar’s periodic reports, including the annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, filed with or furnished to the SEC and available at www.sec.gov. These forward-looking statements are based on a combination of facts and factors currently known by Larimar and its projections of the future, about which it cannot be certain. As a result, the forward-looking statements may not prove to be accurate. The forward-looking statements in this press release represent Larimar’s management’s views only as of the date hereof. Larimar undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason, except as required by law.

Source: Larimar Therapeutics