IRLAB Appoints Janne Backman as New Chairman of the Board
Gothenburg, September 25, 2026 – IRLAB Therapeutics AB (Nasdaq Stockholm: IRLAB A), a company discovering and developing novel treatments for Parkinson’s disease, announces that Jan-Fredrik (“Janne”) Backman today assumes the role of Chairman of the Board. He was elected Vice Chairman at the 2026 Annual General Meeting and now succeeds Carola Lemne, who announced back in the spring that she intended to step down from the position in September.
Janne Backman has more than 20 years of experience in the life science industry. He has held positions including Senior Global Strategy and Marketing Director, Global Strategy and Marketing Director, and Global Program Director within R&D at The Medicines Company, where he led international commercialization strategies, EU product launches, and global development programs. In addition, he has held commercial roles at Merck Serono and AstraZeneca. Since 2016, he has served as CEO of J.F.B Consulting AB and J.F.B Invest.
"It has been a privilege to lead IRLAB’s Board of Directors during a period in which the company has built one of the most innovative and broadest pipelines in the Parkinson’s disease field. After eight years of service on the Board, this feels like the right time to hand over the chairmanship. I am confident that Janne Backman, along with the rest of the Board, will contribute to maximizing the company’s value creation for both patients worldwide and our shareholders," says Carola Lemne, outgoing Chairman of the Board of IRLAB Therapeutics.
"On behalf of the entire Board, I would like to thank Carola Lemne for her contributions as Chairman of the Board. I look forward to leading the continued efforts to advance IRLAB’s drug development programs and strengthen the company’s ability to establish partnerships with international pharmaceutical companies," says Janne Backman, incoming Chairman of the Board of IRLAB Therapeutics.
About IRLAB
IRLAB discovers and develops a portfolio of transformative treatments for all stages of Parkinson's disease. The company originates from Nobel Laureate Prof Arvid Carlsson's research group and the discovery of a link between brain neurotransmitter disorders and brain diseases. Mesdopetam (IRL790), under development for treating levodopa-induced dyskinesias, has completed Phase IIb and is in preparation for Phase III. Pirepemat (IRL752), currently in Phase IIb, is being evaluated for its effect on fall frequency in Parkinson's disease. IRL757, a compound being developed for the treatment of apathy in neurodegenerative disorders, is in Phase Ib. In addition, the company is developing two preclinical programs, IRL942 and IRL1117, towards Phase I studies. IRLAB's pipeline has been generated by the company's proprietary systems biology-based research platform Integrative Screening Process (ISP). Headquartered in Sweden, IRLAB is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (IRLAB A). For more information, please visit www.irlab.se.
For more information
Jan-Fredrik Backman, Chairman
Tel: +46 702 35 65 00
E-post: janne.backman@irlab.se
Kristina Torfgård, CEO
Tel: +46 730 60 70 99
E-post: kristina.torfgard@irlab.se