Qnovia, Inc. Announces Leadership Transition and Strategic Appointments to Support UK Commercialization Strategy

Mario Danek Appointed President and CEO; James Watson Joins as COO, Francesca Lanuza Appointed Director of Regulatory Affairs, and Dr. Robert West named Chairman of Scientific Advisory Board

IRVINE, Calif., April 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Qnovia, Inc., a pharmaceutical and medtech company revolutionizing inhaled therapeutics, today announced a series of strategic leadership updates to support the company's next phase of growth.

Founder Mario Danek Appointed President and CEO

Founder Mario Danek has been appointed President and CEO, succeeding Brian Quigley, who will be stepping down after five years of dedicated leadership, including three years as CEO. Under Quigley's guidance, Qnovia reached significant milestones, such as securing FDA IND clearance. "We thank Brian for his hard work and dedication to Qnovia's advancement over the last five years," said Mario Danek, Founder of Qnovia. "As we enter our next chapter, I'm honored to resume the role of President and CEO to guide Qnovia through its upcoming product launch and further scale our global operations."

James Watson Joins as Chief Operating Officer

Qnovia is pleased to announce that James Watson has been named Chief Operating Officer. With over two decades of global pharmaceutical and consumer health experience, James has held senior leadership roles at industry-leading companies including Johnson & Johnson, Kenvue, Nicoventures, and Wyeth. In his new role, James will lead Qnovia's UK commercial strategy and play a key part in driving the company's growth.

Most recently, James served as Marketing Director for Northern Europe at Kenvue, where he led the transformation of the Listerine brand architecture and executed multi-country strategies that delivered significant market share gains. Known for building and empowering high-performing teams, James has successfully managed product portfolios exceeding $1 billion in global retail sales, launched synchronized global campaigns, and developed eCommerce functions across Europe.

"James brings not only exceptional marketing and operational leadership but also deep familiarity with the UK market that will be crucial to Qnovia's success," said Mario Danek. "We're thrilled to bring his expertise on board during this pivotal moment."

Francesca Lanuza Appointed Director of Regulatory Affairs

Qnovia is also pleased to welcome Francesca Lanuza, PharmD, RAC, as Director of Regulatory Affairs. "Francesca's global experience and regulatory leadership in smoking cessation therapies uniquely position her to accelerate our UK and international regulatory strategy," said Danek. "We are excited to welcome her to the team at such a critical inflection point for Qnovia." Francesca brings over a decade of global regulatory strategy experience across pharmaceuticals and medical devices, with deep expertise in smoking cessation products and regulatory engagement throughout EMEA and Asia Pacific.

She joins Qnovia from Johnson & Johnson and McNeil AB, where she served as Global Regulatory Lead for smoking cessation, anti-infectives and allergy portfolios, driving regulatory strategy for complex product lines and lifecycle management initiatives across global markets. A dynamic leader and advocate for regulatory innovation, Francesca has also served as co-chair of the European Health Parliament's Self Care Committee and held key roles in international regulatory policy taskforces.

Dr. Robert West Named Chairman of Scientific Advisory Board

Qnovia extends its sincere gratitude to Dr. Jasjit Ahluwalia for his exceptional leadership and service as Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board over the past three years. His guidance has been instrumental in shaping the company's early scientific strategy, laying a strong foundation for future success. As Qnovia moves forward with a UK-first market focus, the company is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. Robert West as the new Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board. An internationally recognized expert in tobacco addiction and cessation, Dr. West brings both global eminence and deep UK-specific regulatory insight to Qnovia's next phase of scientific leadership.

Dr. West previously served on Pfizer's Scientific Advisory Board, where he played a pivotal role in the development of varenicline, one of the most widely used pharmacotherapies for smoking cessation. He also served as Editor-in-Chief of the leading academic journal Addiction, shaping global discourse on addiction research and treatment.

A long-time advisor to the UK's Department of Health and Public Health England, Dr. West was also Professor of Health Psychology and Director of Tobacco Studies at the Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Research Centre at University College London (UCL). He now holds the title of Professor Emeritus and remains a leading voice in behavioral science and public health policy.

"Dr. West's combination of the rigorous science, global insight and deep UK policy experience makes him the ideal scientific leader as we advance our mission to transform nicotine replacement therapy," said Danek.

About Qnovia, Inc.

Qnovia, Inc. is a pharma company focused on developing and commercializing proprietary inhalation device technologies to improve patient outcomes. The company's drug delivery platform, the RespiRx™, is a multi-orientation, cartridge-based portable vibrating mesh nebulizer. Qnovia sees significant opportunity to utilize its drug delivery technologies to improve the treatment of Asthma, COPD, Vaccine Delivery, Pain Management, and several generic as well as select investigational new drugs. The company was founded by Mario Danek in 2018 to build cutting-edge drug delivery platforms that improve patient outcomes through superior device technologies. The company's website can be found at www.qnovia.com.

SOURCE Qnovia, Inc.