Achieve Life Sciences Strengthens Board and Commercial Leadership with Three Senior Appointments from Team Previously at Verona Pharma

Article content

Christopher Martin joins the Board of Directors, with Mark Zappia and Jim Willis joining as Senior Vice President of Commercial and Vice President of Sales, reuniting the team behind the launch of Ohtuvayre®, one of the most successful specialty pharmaceutical launches in recent industry history

Article content

SEATTLE and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Achieve Life Sciences, Inc. (Achieve and the Company) (Nasdaq: ACHV), a late-stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the global development and commercialization of cytisinicline as a treatment for nicotine dependence, today announced three senior leadership appointments. Christopher Martin has joined the Company’s Board of Directors. Mark Zappia has joined as Senior Vice President, Commercial, where he will spearhead the Company’s commercial function. Jim Willis has joined as Vice President of Sales and Sales Enablement, where he will lead the field force.

Article content

Article content

Article content

Mr. Martin most recently served as Chief Commercial Officer at Verona Pharma, where he oversaw the commercial strategy for Ohtuvayre® (ensifentrine), a differentiated therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Mr. Zappia led commercial operations during the launch, and Mr. Willis led the national field force during the same period. Verona Pharma was acquired by Merck & Co. for $10.8 billion in October 2025.

Article content

Article content

Today’s announcements follow Dr. Andrew D. Goldberg’s appointment as Chief Executive Officer in April 2026 and the recent financing of up to $354 million, which included $180 million upfront and up to $174 million from milestone-based warrants tied to FDA approval of cytisinicline. Together, they reflect a deliberate build of the leadership Achieve needs as it moves toward commercialization.

Article content

“Bringing Chris, Mark, and Jim to Achieve is one of the most consequential decisions of my first month as CEO and reflects our evolution into a commercial-stage organization,” said Andrew D. Goldberg, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Achieve Life Sciences. “Having anchored Verona Pharma’s U.S. market transition, I saw firsthand the discipline and excellence this team brings to a commercial launch. We are addressing one of the largest preventable public health problems we know, and the experience this team brings positions Achieve to deliver cytisinicline to the patients who need it and the prescribers who care for them.”

Article content

Article content

“I joined Achieve’s Board because I see a rare combination — a novel and differentiated asset in a large market with significant unmet needs. I am excited to work together again with Mark & Jim, a team I trust, who launched Ohtuvayre together,” said Christopher Martin. “Cytisinicline could become the first new smoking cessation therapy in more than two decades and the first ever for vaping cessation. That’s an important moment I wanted to be involved in.”

Article content

In connection with today’s announcement, Tom King will step down from the Board of Directors in June 2026. Dr. Lucian Iancovici will assume the role of Chairman of the Board.

Article content

“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Tom for his service to Achieve,” said Dr. Lucian Iancovici, director of Achieve. “The leadership team in place today — Andrew, the directors who have recently joined, and the new commercial leadership announced this morning — gives the Board confidence that Achieve is built for what comes next. We are pleased to welcome Chris, Mark, and Jim.”

Article content

About Christopher Martin
Christopher Martin is an accomplished pharmaceutical commercial leader with over 25 years of expertise spanning sales, marketing, market access, operations, and business development. Most recently, he served as Chief Commercial Officer at Verona Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company acquired by Merck & Co. in October 2025 that specialized in developing innovative, inhaled therapies for chronic respiratory diseases. He previously served as Executive Director of Marketing at SK Life Science, where he was instrumental in developing the commercial and marketing strategy for launching XCOPRI® (cenobamate tablets), a novel CNS therapeutic. Earlier, he was Head of Marketing at Cempra Pharmaceuticals, where he led launch strategy and commercial planning for the company’s first product. Prior to that, Mr. Martin was with Salix Pharmaceuticals in roles of increasing responsibility, including leading the Xifaxan® marketing team. He currently serves on the boards of Oruka Therapeutics (Nasdaq: ORKA) and Edgewise Therapeutics (Nasdaq: EWTX). Mr. Martin received a Bachelor of Science in Financial Management from Clemson University.