Cocrystal appoints James Sapirstein as chief executive officer

Cocrystal Pharma Inc. (Nasdaq: COCP) said on June 3, 2026 that it has appointed James Sapirstein as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. The company also plans to appoint him to its Board of Directors. He replaces Sam Lee and Jim Martin, who had served as Co-Chief Executive Officers. Sam Lee will continue as President and transition to Chief Scientific Officer. Jim Martin will continue as Chief Financial Officer. The release does not say why the company moved from two co-chief executives to one.

The appointment

The release says Mr. Sapirstein has extensive pharmaceutical industry leadership and development experience. It states that he has participated in or led 23 product launches and has driven numerous business development transactions. Chairman Roger Kornberg, Ph.D., said in the release: "We have known him for many years, and our management team and board are appreciative of his decision to join us as Chief Executive Officer."

Mr. Sapirstein's own comment in the release is that he sees the company as well positioned, with the right technology and team, to create meaningful benefits for patients and shareholders. He also says: "The potential to address the need for new antivirals is highly motivating for me with my product development and launch background."

His earlier roles

The release lists several earlier positions. He was Chief Executive Officer of Contravir Pharmaceuticals and the founding Chief Executive Officer of Tobira Therapeutics. He served as Executive Vice President, Metabolic and Endocrinology, at Serono Laboratories. Earlier in his career he held senior marketing and commercialization positions at Gilead Sciences and was director of international marketing for the infectious disease division at Bristol Myers Squibb.

The release also says he previously served as Chairman of BioNJ and as a Biotechnology Innovation Organization board member for more than a decade. The launch count and the résumé are the company's own account, and the release does not say which launches he led and which he took part in. It also does not say how any earlier company he ran fared.

What the company does

Cocrystal describes itself as a clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing novel antiviral therapeutics. Its business section says the company works on treatments for serious and/or chronic viral diseases caused by RNA viruses, including influenza virus, norovirus, coronaviruses and hepatitis C virus.

Dr. Kornberg, Chief Scientist and Chairman of the Board, received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2006. The company says the approach was developed under his guidance. The release reports no clinical results for any candidate, and its claims for the platform, such as safer, broad-spectrum antivirals, are stated as aims.

Financial position

The XBRL data in the company's annual report show research and development expense of $5.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared with $12.5 million for 2024. The net loss was $8.8 million in 2025, compared with $17.5 million in 2024. Cash used in operations was $8.2 million in 2025, compared with $16.5 million in 2024.

Cash and cash equivalents were $7.0 million at December 31, 2025, compared with $9.9 million at December 31, 2024. That balance is smaller than the $8.2 million of cash used in operations in 2025. The release does not give a cash balance after the leadership change.

What comes next

The company says it plans to appoint Mr. Sapirstein to the Board of Directors. The release also says the management team is accelerating the advancement of multiple clinical programs. It does not give dates for board action or for any specific program milestone beyond those already described in the company's business overview.

Report an error

Companies in this story

COCPCocrystal Pharma, Inc.NASDAQ · United StatesOpen the starter desk