On April 3, 2023, SynAct Pharma AB (publ) announced the appointment of the company's current Chairman Torbjørn Bjerke MD, as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective as from the annual general meeting to be held on May 25, 2023. Dr. Bjerke succeeds Jeppe Øvlesen, who will remain a committed shareholder of the company. Dr. Bjerke will leave his current position as Partner and portfolio manager at Arctic Asset Management.

He will continue as Chairman of the advisory board of Arctic Aurora LifeScience and Biotech Select, member of the board of Biothea and Chairman of the board of Carelight Ltd. He previously served as the president and CEO of Karolinska Development AB from 2011 to 2014. Prior to that, Dr. Bjerke was the president and CEO of Orexo AB, a position he held from 2007 until January 2011. Previously, he was president and CEO of Biolipox AB, Executive Vice President, R&D, ALK Abello, and director of pharmacology at AstraZeneca.

Dr. Bjerke holds a MD in medicine from Aarhus Universitet, Denmark. Dr. Bjerke is cofounder of Action Pharma AS and TXP Pharma GmbH.