Longeveron Appoints Than Powell As Interim Chief Executive Officer Following Wa’el Hashad’s Departure, Dr. Joshua Hare Named Executive Chairman Of The Board

Longeveron Inc., a clinical-stage regenerative medicine biotechnology company focused on developing cellular therapies for rare pediatric, life-threatening, and aging-related conditions, has announced important leadership changes. The company’s Board of Directors has appointed Than Powell as interim Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Powell takes over from Wa’el Hashad, who has stepped down from the CEO role to pursue other opportunities.

In addition, the Board has named Dr. Joshua Hare, Longeveron’s founder, Chief Science Officer, and current Board Chair, as Executive Chairman of the Board. Both Dr. Hare and Mr. Powell already play key roles in the company’s leadership and bring extensive experience and knowledge of Longeveron’s mission. The Board has confirmed that it will begin a national search to identify a permanent Chief Executive Officer.

Powell brings more than 25 years of leadership in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, having held senior roles at GSK and Eli Lilly. Before joining Longeveron, he led Corporate Development and Strategy at Surescripts, where his efforts supported the company’s acquisition by TPG. Earlier in his career, he founded and served as CEO of Epulate, a venture-backed health technology company specializing in transplant immunology. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from DePauw University and a Master of Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Joshua Hare, MD, FACC, FAHA, Executive Chairman and Chief Science Officer of Longeveron, stated, “Longeveron has a robust pipeline built on our stem cell therapy laromestrocel and we are highly confident in our ability to capitalize on multiple compelling opportunities for both patients and shareholders. Laromestrocel has demonstrated positive initial outcomes in five clinical trials across three indications.”

He also added, “With our pivotal Phase 2b clinical trial evaluating laromestrocel as a potential treatment for HLHS having achieved full enrollment, we continue to anticipate top-line trial results in 2026 and, if the trial is successful, a potential BLA filing for HLHS thereafter. With the expansion of our pipeline to include pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy, we have now advanced three unique programs to the pivotal clinical trial stage of development. We are working every day to advance stem cell therapies for the benefit of patients and their families and look forward to sharing our continued progress.”

Roger Hajjar, MD, Chair of the Board’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, commented, “On behalf of the Board and management team, I want to thank Wa’el for his significant contributions over the past two and a half years advancing and expanding the Longeveron pipeline, achieving multiple important regulatory successes and building the incredible team we have today. We wish him continued success in his future endeavors. I would also like to welcome Than to his new role. This is an incredibly important time for both the company and the healthcare field. Gene and cell therapies are revolutionizing patient care with the potential to cure diseases or halt their progression and Longeveron is at the forefront of stem cell therapy research and clinical development. The combination of Josh’s scientific expertise and Than’s business development acumen is the strategic leadership that we believe will drive Longeveron’s future success.”

Mr. Powell, interim CEO, explained, “This is an extraordinary time for Longeveron and our stem cell therapy laromestrocel. It is unusual for a company of our size to have three development programs at the stage of pivotal clinical trials. I am incredibly confident in the capabilities of the Longeveron team and look forward to working with them to ensure the long-term success of laromestrocel, prudently advance our stem cell therapy pipeline, and work with potential partners to leverage our stem cell technology for the benefit of patients and shareholders.”

Dr. Hare, who co-founded Longeveron, is a double board-certified cardiologist with more than 35 years of experience in biomedical research across both academia and biotechnology. He is the inventor behind Longeveron’s patent portfolio and has had a distinguished career in medical research and clinical leadership. Dr. Hare earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania and his Doctor of Medicine from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 

He completed cardiology fellowships at Johns Hopkins and Brigham and Women’s Hospital and also trained as a Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School. These leadership updates mark a period of transition for Longeveron, with the company aiming to maintain continuity in its research and development efforts while preparing for the appointment of a permanent CEO.