Larimar Therapeutics names John B. Harlow Jr. president and COO

Larimar Therapeutics disclosed in a Form 8-K that its board appointed John B. Harlow, Jr. to serve as the company's president and chief operating officer under an employment agreement effective September 29, 2026.¹

Harlow, age 51, most recently worked at Esperion Therapeutics. He served as chief commercial officer at Esperion, a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company focused on cardiovascular disease risk, from November 2025 to September 2026, in a role covering commercial operations, business development, and global alliance management.¹ Before that, he was chief commercial officer of Melinta Therapeutics, LLC from March 2021 to November 2025, a company focused on therapies for acute and life-threatening illnesses, ahead of its 2025 acquisition by CorMedix.¹ His earlier roles included chief commercial officer positions at Baudax Bio and commercial leadership roles at Recro Pharma, as well as positions at Endo, Shionogi, Pfizer, and Novartis, and a stint as an equity research analyst at Merrill Lynch, according to the filing.

Under the employment agreement, Harlow's initial base salary is $560,000 per year, subject to annual review, and he will receive a $35,000 cash signing bonus along with eligibility for an annual bonus targeted at 40% of base salary, prorated for 2026.¹

As an inducement to joining, Larimar granted Harlow an option to purchase 800,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price equal to the closing price on the effective date, vesting 25% after one year and the remainder in 36 monthly installments, plus 50,000 restricted stock units vesting in four equal annual installments starting on the first anniversary of the effective date.¹

The company said Harlow has no family relationship with any executive officer or director, no arrangements tied to his appointment, and no related-party transactions requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.¹ The full employment agreement is expected to be filed as an exhibit to Larimar's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026.¹