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

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.

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.

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.

"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."

"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."

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.

"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."

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.

About Mark Zappia

Mark Zappia brings more than 20 years of biopharma commercial operations and finance experience, with a track record of building high-performing commercial functions and driving market-defining product launches. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Commercial Operations at Verona Pharma, where he was one of the founding commercial leaders, joining in 2022 and building the end-to-end commercial infrastructure that supported Ohtuvayre's market entry. He subsequently supported the company's transition through its acquisition by Merck & Co. Prior to that, Mark held progressive leadership roles at Mayne Pharma, Circassia, Bioventus, and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, with expertise spanning respiratory, dermatology, women's health, medical device, and generic manufacturing. He received a Master of Science in Finance from Brandeis University and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Hartwick College.

About Jim Willis

With nearly 25 years of industry experience, Jim Willis brings a track record of launch success: building, enabling, and leading sales teams across companies of varying size, including multiple startups. Most recently, as National Sales Director at Verona Pharma, he helped build, expand, and lead the field organization through Ohtuvayre's launch and the company's acquisition by Merck & Co. Earlier in his career, he held sales leadership and launch roles at Exact Sciences, Melinta Therapeutics, Salix Pharmaceuticals, Merck, and Schering-Plough. While at Exact Sciences, he also held national roles leading commercial effectiveness, training, and commercial strategy and execution. He received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Elon University, a Master of Business Administration from Mercer University, and a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy from the University of Florida.

About Achieve Life Sciences, Inc.

Achieve Life Sciences, Inc. is a late-stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the global development and commercialization of cytisinicline as a treatment of nicotine dependence. In September 2025, the company announced that its New Drug Application, submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2025, had been accepted for review. The FDA has assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date of June 20, 2026. The NDA is for cytisinicline to be used as a treatment of nicotine dependence for smoking cessation in adults, based on two successfully completed Phase 3 studies and its open-label safety study. Additionally, the company has completed a Phase 2 study with cytisinicline in vaping cessation and conducted a successful end-of-Phase 2 meeting with the FDA for a future vaping indication.

About Cytisinicline

There are approximately 25 million adults in the United States who smoke combustible cigarettes.¹ Tobacco use is currently the leading cause of preventable death that is responsible for more than eight million deaths worldwide and nearly half a million deaths in the United States annually.²^,³

In addition, there are nearly 18 million adults in the United States who use e-cigarettes, also known as vaping.¹ In 2024, approximately 1.6 million middle and high school students in the United States reported using e-cigarettes.⁴ There are no FDA-approved treatments indicated specifically as an aid to nicotine e-cigarette cessation. FDA has awarded the Commissioner's National Priority Voucher for e-cigarette or vaping cessation and granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to address this critical need.

Cytisinicline is a plant-based alkaloid with a high binding affinity to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. It is believed to aid in treating nicotine addiction for smoking and e-cigarette cessation by interacting with nicotine receptors in the brain, reducing the severity of nicotine craving symptoms, and reducing the reward and satisfaction associated with nicotine products. Cytisinicline is an investigational product candidate being developed as a treatment of nicotine dependence for smoking cessation and has not been approved by the FDA for any indication in the United States.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements Achieve makes regarding the timing, nature and outcome of cytisinicline clinical development and regulatory review and approval, data results, the timing, nature and success of Achieve's commercialization activities, the potential market size for cytisinicline, the potential benefits, efficacy, safety and tolerability of cytisinicline, the development and effectiveness of new treatments, the performance of Achieve's third-party manufacturing partners, the successful launch and commercialization of cytisinicline, and statements concerning Achieve Life Sciences' future plans and prospects. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Achieve may not actually achieve its plans or product development goals in a timely manner, if at all, or otherwise carry out its intentions or meet its expectations or projections disclosed in these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, including Achieve's Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Achieve undertakes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained herein or to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof, other than as may be required by applicable law.

Achieve Contact

Nicole Jones

VP, Strategic Communications and Stakeholder Relations

ir@achievelifesciences.com

425-686-1510

References

¹Agaku I. Tobacco Product Use among U.S. Adults, 2023–2024, NEJM, doi: 10.1056/EVIDpha2500339.

²World Health Organization. WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2017.

³U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking — 50 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General, 2014.

⁴Jamal A, Park-Lee E, Birdsey J, et al. Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students — National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2024. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:917–924.