PLYMOUTH MEETING - Harmony Biosciences Holdings, Inc. ('Harmony' or the 'Company') (Nasdaq: HRMY), a pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative therapies for patients with rare neurological diseases, today announced that Jeffrey M. Dayno, M.D., has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer by the Company's Board of Directors and has been elected to join as a member of the Board.
Dr. Dayno joined Harmony as Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President when the company was founded in 2017 and has been serving as Interim President and CEO since January 6, 2023.
Harmony Board Chairman, Jeff Aronin, noted that Dr. Dayno, a nationally recognized neuroscience expert, has been a valuable member of the Company's inaugural executive management team since 2017. He played a critical role in the FDA approval of Harmony's key asset, WAKIX (pitolisant), and helped to shape commercial strategy.
'Dr. Dayno has been an influential leader since day one. The Board unanimously appointed him President and CEO because it firmly believes in his vision for ongoing strong growth in critical areas of the business,' said Mr. Aronin. 'We believe he will continue to expand the WAKIX franchise in narcolepsy, pursue new indications for patients and advance the pipeline of new assets. That is a clear path to short- and long-term value for Harmony's shareholders.'
With the appointment, Mr. Aronin returns to serving as non-executive Chairman of the Board. Dr. Dayno expressed appreciation for the Board's confidence in his leadership.
'After 12 years as a practicing neurologist taking care of patients, followed by 25 years in the industry touching every aspect of the business, I have seen the impact that developing and delivering innovative treatments can have on patients and their families. I am honored that the Board has asked me to lead the company forward in our next phase of growth,' said Dr. Dayno. 'We are confident in WAKIX being a potential $1 billion-plus narcolepsy opportunity, with the potential to contribute up to an additional $1 billion if approved in idiopathic hypersomnia and other current lifecycle management programs. I am passionate about leading the company forward and will focus on advancing our lifecycle management programs and acquiring new assets to build out our pipeline.
About WAKIX (pitolisant) Tablets
WAKIX, a first-in-class medication, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness or cataplexy in adult patients with narcolepsy and has been commercially available in the U.S. since Q4 2019. It was granted orphan drug designation for the treatment of narcolepsy in 2010, and breakthrough therapy designation for the treatment of cataplexy in 2018. WAKIX is a selective histamine 3 (H) receptor antagonist/inverse agonist. The mechanism of action of WAKIX is unclear; however, its efficacy could be mediated through its activity at H receptors, thereby increasing the synthesis and release of histamine, a wake promoting neurotransmitter. WAKIX was designed and developed by Bioprojet (France). Harmony has an exclusive license from Bioprojet to develop, manufacture and commercialize pitolisant in the United States.
About Harmony Biosciences
At Harmony Biosciences, we specialize in developing and delivering treatments for rare neurological diseases that others often overlook. We believe that where empathy and innovation meet, a better life can begin for people living with neurological diseases. Established by Paragon Biosciences, LLC, in 2017 and headquartered in Plymouth Meeting, PA, our team of experts from a wide variety of disciplines and experiences is driven by our shared conviction that innovative science translates into therapeutic possibilities for our patients, who are at the heart of everything we do.
Contact:
Cate McCanless
Tel: 202-641-6086
Email: cmccanless@harmonybiosciences.com
HARMONY BIOSCIENCES HOLDINGS, INC. 
