Zealand Pharma continues to strengthen strategic leadership of innovation in obesity and related conditions with appointment of Steven Johnson as Chief Development Officer

Press release – No. 9 / 2025

Zealand Pharma continues to strengthen strategic leadership of innovation in obesity and related conditions with appointment of Steven Johnson as Chief Development Officer

• Steven will lead the regulatory and development strategies that position Zealand Pharma at the forefront of innovation in the management of obesity and other related complications

• He joins CMO David Kendall and recently appointed CSO Utpal Singh to strengthen Zealand Pharma’s R&D leadership and progress its differentiated clinical pipeline of potential best-in-class peptide therapeutics

Copenhagen, Denmark, May 19, 2025 – Zealand Pharma A/S (Nasdaq: ZEAL) (CVR-no. 20045078), a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of innovative peptide-based medicines, today announces the appointment of Steven Johnson as Chief Development Officer. Steven will join the executive team to lead regulatory and development strategies at Zealand Pharma. His appointment, alongside Chief Medical Officer, David Kendall and recently appointed Chief Scientific Officer, Utpal Singh further strengthens the company’s strategy to lead the field in innovation in the management of obesity and other related conditions.

Steven brings nearly 30 years of experience driving drug development and regulatory strategy across the pharmaceutical industry. He joins Zealand Pharma from UCB Biopharma, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President and Head of Regulatory Stakeholders, responsible for leading late phase clinical development, global regulatory affairs, biometrics and operational excellence. During Steven’s tenure at UCB, his teams secured global approvals for key therapies across multiple therapeutic areas. Previously he had senior leadership roles at Medpace, Inc. and at Novo Nordisk. Steven began his career at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, where he served as a Master Reviewer in the Division of Metabolic and Endocrine Drug Products.

“Steven brings a unique 360-degree perspective on global drug development gained from a career at major pharma companies, CROs and the FDA,” said Adam Steensberg, Chief Executive Officer, Zealand Pharma. “He joins Zealand at a key moment as we embark on the collaboration with Roche to co-develop and co-commercialize petrelintide as a foundational therapy for people with overweight and obesity. Together, Utpal, Steven and David form a robust, seamless leadership team across research, development and medical affairs as we strive to become a leader in the management of obesity and related complications.”