Dova Pharmaceuticals hires former Cempra exec as CFO

DURHAM — Dova Pharmaceuticals Inc. has hired former Cempra Inc. executive Mark W. Hahn as its chief financial officer.

According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Hahn will receive an annual base salary of $390,000 with a 40 percent bonus, based on performance.

Hahn was also awarded the option to purchase 175,000 shares of stock.

“Having Mark join the Dova team at this time significantly adds to our executive team’s capabilities,”said Alex C. Sapir, Dova’s president and chief executive officer, in a statement. “His experience as a public company biotech CFO are the skills that are needed as Dova continues its trajectory as a growing biotech company.”

Hahn officially began his role on Jan. 31. He replaces Douglas Blankenship, who resigned on Monday.

Previously the CFO of Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based Cempra, Hahn led its financial activities, including the company’s initial public offering, until the company was acquired by Melinta Therapeutics in November 2017.

Prior to joining Cempra, Hahn was CFO of Athenix, which merged with Bayer CropScience, from 2008 to 2009.

Hahn spent 12 years at Ernst and Young prior to taking on operating roles.

Dova’s shares rose 5 cents to $31.86 on Wednesday.

This story is from the North Carolina Business News Wire, a service of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Media and Journalism