Press release
KemPharm Announces Corporate Name Change to Zevra Therapeutics
New name, Greek for “zebra,” is the internationally-recognized symbol for the rare disease community Branding reflects Company’s commitment to making rare
About this update from Zevra Therapeutics, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"New name, Greek for “zebra,” is the internationally-recognized symbol for the rare disease community Branding reflects Company’s commitment to making rare disease therapies available through its research, development, and commercialization efforts The Company’s common shares will trade on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the new ticker symbol “ZVRA” starting on or about March 1, 2023 CELEBRATION, Fla., Feb. 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KemPharm, Inc. (NasdaqGS: KMPH) (“KemPharm,” or the “Company”), announced today that it changed its name to Zevra Therapeutics, Inc. (“Zevra”). This name change reflects the Company’s intensified focus and dedication to developing transformational, patient-focused therapies for rare diseases with limited or no treatment options. In conjunction with the name change, the Company will begin trading under the new ticker symbol “ZVRA” on The Nasdaq Global Market on or about March 1, 2023. “The adoption of the name Zevra, the Greek word for zebra, is an important step in our journey to become a leading rare disease company since the zebra is the recognized symbol of the rare disease community around the world,” said Richard W. Pascoe, Chief Executive Officer of Zevra. “With the launch of our new company name in anticipation of Rare Disease Day next week, we renew our unwavering commitment to stand with this important community as we pursue our primary mission to deliver life-changing treatments to people with rare conditions, their families and caregivers who desperately need better options.” In May 2022, Zevra, then KemPharm, acquired arimoclomol, an orally-delivered, first-in-class investigational product candidate for the treatment of Niemann-Pick type C disease (“NPC”), from Orphazyme A/S as part of the Company’s long-term vision to evolve into a commercially-driven rare disease therapeutics company. Through the acquisition, Zevra welcomed key new team members with years of valuable rare disease therapeutic research and development experience, maintained the ongoing early access programs and relationships with treatment centers in the U.S. and Europe, and continues to build upon longstanding partnerships within the NPC patient community. NPC, a rare disease with no currently approved treatments in the U.S., primarily affects children and is often fatal, causing progressive loss of brain, nerve,...