Donald Picker
About Donald Picker
Donald Picker, PhD, is Chief Science Officer (part-time, ~25% effort) at CNS Pharmaceuticals, a role he has held since June 2019. He is 80 years old and holds a B.S. from Brooklyn Polytechnic University and a PhD from SUNY Albany (1975) . He brings 25+ years of oncology drug development leadership, including CEO/President/CSO roles across multiple biopharma companies, and concurrently serves as Chief Scientific Officer of Moleculin Biotech (since August 2017) . Company performance context during his tenure: CNSP’s “Value of Initial $100 Investment” (TSR proxy) was $11.40 (2022), $52.92 (2023), and $0.19 (2024), alongside net losses of $15.3m (2022), $18.9m (2023), and $14.9m (2024) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moleculin Biotech | Chief Scientific Officer | Aug 2017–present | Led scientific direction for oncology pipeline |
| Moleculin Biotech | President | Jan 2016–Aug 2017 | Operational leadership during early development |
| Moleculin Biotech | Chief Operating Officer | Jul 2015–Aug 2017 | Built development/ops capabilities |
| IntertechBio Corp. | Chief Executive Officer | 2007 | Early-stage oncology company leadership |
| Tapestry Pharmaceuticals | President | 2006–2007 | Oncology program leadership |
| Synergy Pharmaceuticals | Chief Executive Officer | 1998–2003 | Built and advanced R&D; later VP R&D at Callisto through 2006 |
| Callisto Pharmaceuticals | Vice President, R&D | to 2006 | Continued oncology development post-merger |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moleculin Biotech (NASDAQ: MBRX) | Chief Scientific Officer | Aug 2017–present | Concurrent CSO role; oncology focus |
Fixed Compensation
- Not individually disclosed. CNSP’s DEF 14A identifies Named Executive Officers (NEOs) as the CEO, CFO, and CMO; Dr. Picker is not a NEO, and his base salary/bonus details are not itemized in the proxy .
Performance Compensation
- Dr. Picker’s specific bonus outcome and equity awards are not disclosed. The corporate bonus framework for executives in 2024 centered on funding sufficiency, IP development, and preparatory activities for a Berubicin NDA; NEO payouts were near target (CEO 99%, CFO 99%, CMO 99.5%) based on these achievements .
| Metric (2024) | Weighting | Target | Actual/Assessment | Payout (NEOs) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain sufficient funding | Not disclosed | Internal plan | Achieved per Compensation Committee | CEO 99%; CFO 99% | Picker payout not disclosed |
| IP development goals | Not disclosed | Internal plan | Achieved per Compensation Committee | CEO 99%; CFO 99% | Picker payout not disclosed |
| NDA prep for Berubicin | Not disclosed | Internal plan | Achieved per Compensation Committee | CMO 99.5% | Picker payout not disclosed |
- Long-term incentives: On March 11, 2025, the Board approved option grants “for service in 2024” totaling 17,082 options at $30.36, vesting over 2 years; recipients enumerated in the proxy are NEOs and directors, with no line item for Dr. Picker .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Individual beneficial ownership for Dr. Picker was not itemized in the recent beneficial ownership tables (those present NEOs and directors). Directors and officers as a group are shown, but Picker’s individual share/option counts are not disclosed in 2024–2025 proxies .
- Anti-hedging/insider policies: CNS prohibits directors, officers, and employees from hedging transactions without prior approval, and prohibits trading while aware of MNPI; these policies apply to officers such as Dr. Picker .
- Equity plan features on alignment/change-in-control: Under the 2020 Equity Plan, upon a Change in Control, the Compensation Committee may accelerate vesting/exercisability, deem performance goals satisfied at target, or provide cash-outs/assumption by acquirer (discretionary) . This framework governs any awards he may hold.
- Ownership guidelines/pledging: No executive stock ownership guidelines or pledging disclosures for officers were identified in the 2024–2025 proxies (director compensation caps are disclosed) .
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Employment arrangement | Employment letter dated June 28, 2019 (part-time) |
| Time commitment | 25% of work time devoted to CNS |
| Contract term/auto-renewal | Not disclosed for Picker (CEO agreement terms disclosed separately) |
| Severance (Picker) | Not disclosed |
| Non-compete / non-solicit | Not disclosed |
| Change-in-control | Plan-level equity acceleration at Committee discretion; no Picker-specific employment CoC terms disclosed |
Company Performance Context (for pay-performance alignment)
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value of Initial Fixed $100 Investment (TSR proxy) | $11.40 | $52.92 | $0.19 |
| Net Loss (USD, thousands) | $(15,274) | $(18,851) | $(14,858) |
Investment Implications
- Retention/attention risk: Dr. Picker’s part-time status (25% effort) and concurrent CSO role at Moleculin may diffuse focus across two oncology pipelines; CNS has not disclosed retention devices (e.g., severance protections or bespoke equity schedules) specific to him beyond the general equity plan framework .
- Pay transparency and alignment: As a non-NEO, his cash and equity details are not disclosed, limiting visibility into pay-for-performance alignment and potential insider selling pressure or vesting overhang tied to his awards .
- Governance and trading safeguards: Insider trading and anti-hedging policies apply to officers, mitigating alignment red flags commonly associated with hedging/pledging; no pledging disclosures were identified for officers .
- Execution track record: Picker’s history spans multiple oncology leadership roles and ongoing CSO responsibilities at Moleculin, consistent with CNS’s clinical-stage focus; company-level TSR was volatile and net losses persisted across 2022–2024, emphasizing execution risk around Berubicin and financing milestones that underpin executive bonus frameworks .