BetterLife Pharma Inc. said on Monday it appointed Charles Duncan, PhD, as a director and chair of its audit committee, adding biopharmaceutical expertise to its board amid development of migraine therapy BETR-001.
Based in Vancouver, BetterLife trades on the Canadian Securities Exchange under ticker CSE:BETR, OTCQB:BETRF and FSE:NPAU. Duncan, who serves as managing director and head of biotech strategy and development at Gilmartin Group, brings nearly three decades of industry experience to the role.
His background includes board service at Vanda Pharmaceuticals and prior leadership positions at Cantor Fitzgerald, Piper Jaffray and JMP Securities. Duncan has initiated research coverage on more than 175 biotechnology companies and evaluated over 200 investment banking transactions, including senior vetting roles on roughly 25 initial public offerings. His sector focus spans neurology, psychiatry, oncology and platform-enabled therapeutics.
Duncan holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a concentration in Neuropharmacology from the University of Colorado and completed executive education in audit committee governance at Harvard Business School.
The company also disclosed stock option grants tied to Duncan’s appointment. A first tranche provides options to purchase 500,000 common shares, vesting quarterly over 24 months with a ten-year term. A second grant covers 125,000 options, vesting over three months with a ten-year term. Exercise prices will align with Canadian Securities Exchange policies.
BetterLife is developing BETR-001, a non-hallucinogenic LSD derivative for migraine and headache disorders, currently in preclinical and investigational new drug-enabling studies.
