Elkedonia strengthens Board of Directors with appointment of Pierre d’Epenoux as Independent Chairman

• Appointment strengthens Elkedonia's governance as the company continues its development and prepares for its next phases of growth
• Pierre d’Epenoux is former CEO of ImCheck Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech immuno-oncology company acquired by Ipsen in 2025
• Elkedonia continues to advance its first-in-class molecules – non-addictive, non-hallucinogenic, and targeting non-synaptic mechanisms – for major depressive disorder (MDD) and other neuropsychiatric disorders
  

Strasbourg, France and Charleroi, Belgium, 22 April 2026 (0830 CET) – Elkedonia, a biotech company pioneering a novel neuroplastogen approach to develop therapeutics for severe depression and other neuropsychiatric conditions, today announces the appointment of pharmaceutical and biotech executive Pierre d’Epenoux as Independent Chairman to its Board of Directors.

With a distinguished career of 30 years in the biopharmaceutical industry, Mr d’Epenoux has extensive experience in bringing therapeutic innovations to patients and from executive leadership roles. Most recently, he served as Chief Executive Officer of ImCheck Therapeutics, which he led through strategic partnerships and transactions, culminating in its acquisition by Ipsen in 2025. Throughout his career, Mr d'Epenoux has built deep expertise in biotech-pharma licensing agreements, strategic transactions and partnerships — the areas where he will support Elkedonia as Chairman.

“Our team has built Elkedonia from the ground up with deep expertise in drug discovery, clinical development and corporate strategy, supported by a strong syndicate of European life sciences investors,” said Delphine Charvin, Chief Executive Officer and cofounder of Elkedonia. “Welcoming Pierre as Chairman brings a highly complementary skill set to the Board — his extensive experience in biotech-pharma partnerships, licensing and transactions will be invaluable as we strengthen our strategic positioning and build long-term value.”

“Elkedonia has the potential to drive breakthrough advancements in treating depression and its comorbidities and establish a leading position in the field of MDD in particular. I look forward to joining Elkedonia’s experienced board and being a part of the next exciting phase of the company’s evolution,” said Pierre d’Epenoux, Chairman of the Board of Elkedonia.

Mr d’Epenoux’s appointment comes as Elkedonia advances its lead discovery program targeting the inhibition of the intracellular ELK1 protein. While this transcription factor was previously thought to be undruggable, Elkedonia’s novel chemistry targets it to restore neuroplasticity without the hallucinogenic or dissociative side effects of psychedelics or ketamine derivatives. Impaired neuroplasticity can drive anhedonia and MDD; alterations in ELK1 signaling have been shown to correlate with severity of neuropsychiatric diseases. This first-in-class antidepressant approach uses precision medicine to address the urgent unmet needs of patients suffering from MDD, particularly those who do not respond to existing treatments.

MDD is at the center of a rapidly growing and devastating health crisis, despite widely marketed anti-depressants, which lack diversity in their mechanisms of action. The condition affects 332 million people worldwide – and 25 million each in the United States and Europe. It is highly linked to a risk of suicide, which is the third-leading cause of death among 15 to 29-year olds. One-third of patients affected by MDD do not respond adequately to existing treatments, a condition defined as treatment-resistant depression (TRD). This highlights the urgent need for innovative, effective and well tolerated solutions to address the unmet needs of people suffering from this debilitating disease.

Elkedonia (www.elkedonia.com) is a Franco-Belgian biotech company dedicated to transforming the treatment of mental health disorders through first-in-class precision medicine approaches. Its lead discovery program targets the inhibition of the intracellular ELK1 protein, and development will start with the urgent unmet need in patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The company was founded in 2025 and raised €11.25 million in seed financing, backed by a syndicate of leading European life sciences investors, including Kurma Partners, WE Ventures, Bpifrance, Angelini Ventures, Carma Fund, Capital Grand Est, Argobio and Sambrinvest.

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