Eminent Healthcare Leader New Independent Non-Exec Chair
Released
Released
Announcement PDF
Developing innovative treatments for
mental health & neurological conditions
ASX Announcement | 21 November 2023
Eminent Healthcare Leader appointed as Independent
Non-Executive Chairman for Emyria Ltd
HIGHLIGHTS
Strategic Appointment: Emyria welcomes Mr. Greg Hutchinson as Independent
Non-Executive Chairman to bolster the Company's innovative mental health research and
development programs
Extensive Healthcare Leadership: Greg Hutchinson's tenure as CEO of Sonic HealthPlus
and Deputy CEO of Sonic Clinical Services underscores significant expertise in scaling
frontline health services and research programs
New frontier in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: Emyria poised to become a global leader in
psychedelic-assisted therapy, following Australia's historic legalisation of MDMA and
psilocybin for specified mental health conditions 1
Emyria Limited (ASX: EMD) (“Emyria”, or the “Company”) focused on developing innovative
treatments for mental health and neurological conditions, is pleased to announce the
appointment of Greg Hutchinson as Independent Non-Executive Chairman.
Mr. Hutchinson has held leadership roles in rapidly scaling clinical services delivery for over 30
years, spending the last 13 as the CEO of Sonic HealthPlus and Deputy CEO of Sonic Clinical
Services, subsidiaries of Sonic Healthcare Limited (ASX: SHL) an S&P/ASX 100 company.
Under Mr. Hutchinson’s tenure, Sonic HealthPlus has become the largest provider of
occupational and community medical services in Australia with a workforce of over 1,800
employees and contractors operating across more than 40 metropolitan, regional and
remote locations in all States and Territories. At any one time, Sonic HealthPlus attends to
some 7,000 active clients, ranging from small entities to some of the world’s foremost
corporations across all industry sectors, as well as large government contracts with major
Commonwealth and State agencies.
Mr. Hutchinson is also the deputy CEO and a Director of Sonic Healthcare’s clinical services
division which encompasses approximately 5,000 employees and 2,500 doctors across some
of Australia’s leading healthcare businesses.
Notably, Mr. Hutchinson's professional background also encompasses the founding and
scaling of innovative clinical delivery care models and commercial activities.
Emyria ASX Announcement | 21 Nov 2023
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"Joining Emyria is an incredible opportunity to
lead in a groundbreaking area of mental health
treatment - underpinned by world-class
research infrastructure and processes. With
Australia's landmark decision to legalise MDMA
and psilocybin for therapeutic use, we are at the
forefront of a major healthcare revolution.
Emyria's track record in advocacy and
accessibility for innovative treatments positions
us to lead this new space. I am excited to
contribute to a business model that not only
promises growth but also has a profound
impact on patients' lives."
Greg Hutchinson
Mr. Hutchinson co-founded 5D Clinics, a Perth-based radiation oncology business
pioneering radiosurgery with CyberKnife technology. The clinic, renowned for its advanced
treatment of malignant and benign tumours, has become a key referral centre for Australian
and international patients and is expanding across Australia.
Previously, Mr. Hutchinson founded a successful chain of private physiotherapy clinics across
Australia which were eventually acquired by Sonic HealthPlus.
Mr. Hutchinson has served as a Board Member of Tennis Australia since 2015.
Dr. Stewart Washer, who has made invaluable contributions to Emyria as Chairman, will be
stepping down to an unpaid advisory role where he will continue to provide strategic
support for Emyria.
Emyria CEO and MD, Dr. Michael Winlo, praised Dr. Washer's leadership: "Stewart has
been instrumental in our journey so far, laying the foundations of a company committed to
personalised therapy and data acquisition to guide the development of innovative
treatments to address unmet clinical needs.
“We are excited to welcome Greg, whose exceptional track record in founding and scaling
clinical operations and healthcare management will be pivotal in our next growth phase,
particularly in expanding our MDMA-assisted therapy program."
This transition comes at a crucial time as Emyria embarks on expanding its mental health
treatment portfolio and impact. Having already provided care to over 15,000 patients
through its clinical services subsidiary, Emerald Clinics, Emyria's recent acquisition of the
Pax Centre3, a leading psychological trauma treatment centre, further amplifies its capability
for frontline service delivery and evidence-based research. The Company's active clinical trial
in MDMA-assisted therapy and the recent arrival of patient-ready drug supply into Australia
highlights its preparedness and commitment to developing this novel treatment with an
initial focus on patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (‘PTSD’) - a condition affecting ~
1,000,000 Australians.2
Emyria ASX Announcement | 21 Nov 2023
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Mr. Hutchinson’s appointment is expected to support the Company’s focus on developing
scalable delivery models for these new treatments while collecting Real World Data to
support ongoing innovation and therapy development. This strategic addition is
complemented by the recent appointment of US-based healthcare executive Dr. Mohit
Kaushal to the Board 4, whose background in rapidly scaling, tech-enabled clinical services
aligns with Emyria's vision.
Emyria has agreed that, in addition to Director's fees of $80,000 per annum, Emyria will
issue Mr. Hutchinson the following securities under the terms of its employee incentive plan:
●
500,000 Shares as a sign-on incentive; and
●
a further 2,500,000 Performance Rights subject to shareholder approval and
according to the following vesting schedule:
Performance Rights
Vesting Conditions
(10-day VWAP Share Price) *
500,000
$0.15
1,000,000
$0.25
1,000,000
$0.40
* The vesting conditions will be satisfied upon the volume weighted average price (VWAP) of Emyria’s shares
meeting or exceeding the target price as calculated over 10 consecutive trading days in which trades in
Emyria’s shares occurs. The performance rights will expire 4 years from the date of issue.
On the financial front, Emyria is driving initiatives in clinical services revenue growth and
cost-efficiencies 5. The foundational strength of its clinical services business, coupled with its
novel drug development programs, positions the Company for both immediate patient
impact and potential for long-term returns.
As Emyria enters this new phase of growth, it remains committed to upholding the highest
standards of regulatory compliance and patient safety. Shareholders can expect regular
updates on the Company's progress and developments under Mr. Hutchinson's leadership.
References:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
https://www.tga.gov.au/news/media-releases/change-classification-psilocybin-and-mdma-en
able-prescribing-authorised-psychiatrists
See ASX release 09 October 2023
See ASX release 13 September 2023
See ASX release 21 August 2023
See ASX release 26 October 2023
This release has been approved by the Board of Emyria.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Managing Director
Michael Winlo
+61 (0) 8 6559 2800
mwinlo@emyria.com
Emyria ASX Announcement | 21 Nov 2023
Media Contact
Haley Chartres
+61 (0) 423 139 163
haley@hck.digital
Corporate Advisor
Sufian Ahmed
+61 (0) 412 316 162
info@62capital.com.au
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emyria.com
Emyria Limited is a clinical services and drug development company focused on revolutionising
patient outcomes in neuroscience and mental health via a unique business model:
generates
Emyria Clinics: Deliver evidence-based and emerging therapies for mental health and
other unmet needs across multiple sites (Emerald Clinics and The Pax Centre)
Emyria Data: Robust and ethically-sourced Real-World Data gathered with patients
and integrated into an advanced data platform powered by Palantir. Emyria data is
used to improve Emyria’s distinct therapy and drug development programs.
informs
Emyria Drug Discovery: One of the world's largest libraries of unique MDMA-like
compounds developed in partnership with the University of Western Australia seeking
new psychedelic-assisted therapies and treatments for neurological diseases.
Emyria Drug Development: A suite of unique, highly potent dose forms of Ultra-Pure
cannabinoids seeking registration for a range of mental health and neuroscience
indications.
EMYRIA’S INTERACTIVE INVESTOR HUB
Investorhub.emyria.com Interact with Emyria’s announcements and updates
by asking questions and comments, which our team can respond to where possible.
paxcentre.com.au
The Pax Centre specialises in treating individuals grappling with the psychological impacts
of traumatic experiences. Our treatment approach is highly personalised, addressing a wide
range of mental health issues, from PTSD and depression to anxiety disorders and substance
abuse, often stemming from various life traumas.
Complex trauma, characterised by repeated, relational traumatic events often occurring during
developmental stages, requires specialised attention due to its pervasive and lasting impact.
In these cases, The Pax Centre prioritises early diagnosis and evidence-based treatments.
We also focus on proactive strategies for health expansion and personal growth, empowering
our clients with skills and tools to improve wellbeing and performance. At the Pax Centre, we
believe in transforming lives through focused, evidence-based mental health care.
emeraldclinics.com.au
Emerald Clinics is an Australian-based, patient-centric clinical service specialising in providing
treatments for patients with complex and chronic conditions, where traditional therapies might not
have yielded satisfactory results.
Leveraging our deep expertise with unregistered medicines, such as cannabinoids, we strive to
pioneer and personalise care for our patients. Our robust, ethically-sourced data collection methods
underpin our commitment to improving patient outcomes and advancing healthcare innovation.
CAUTIONARY NOTE ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Any statements in this press release about future expectations,
plans and prospects for the Company, the Company’s strategy, future operations, and other statements containing the words “anticipate,”
“believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “potential,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “continue,” and
similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking
statements as a result of various important factors, including: the Company’s ability to successfully develop its product candidates and timely
complete its planned clinical programs and the Company’s ability to obtain marketing approvals for its product candidates. In addition, the
forward-looking statements included in this press release represents the Company’s views as of the date hereof. The Company anticipates that
subsequent events and developments will cause the Company’s views to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these
forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking
statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof.
Emyria ASX Announcement | 21 Nov 2023
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