Mitchell Shirvan
About Mitchell Shirvan
Mitchell Shirvan, Ph.D., MBA, is Chief Scientific and Development Officer at Silexion Therapeutics (SLXN), serving since April 2022 and continuing post-Business Combination; he is 71 years old . He holds a Ph.D. in microbiology from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an MBA from the University of Bradford . He has 25–30+ years of R&D and biotech leadership experience, including CEO of Macrocure, SVP R&D at Foamix, and senior roles at Teva; he was previously a research fellow at the U.S. NIH . SLXN is pre-revenue and has disclosed it “has never generated any revenue from product sales and may never be profitable,” so revenue/EBITDA growth metrics are not applicable at this stage .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teva Pharmaceutical Industries | Senior Director, Strategic Business Planning; Senior Manager, R&D | 1992–2008 | Expanded strategic planning and R&D capabilities at a global pharma |
| Macrocure Ltd. | Chief Executive Officer | 2008–2012 | Led clinical-stage biotech through development initiatives |
| Foamix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (now VYNE) | SVP R&D; VP Innovation & Discovery | 2014–2019 | Advanced dermatology pipeline and innovation programs |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) | Research Fellow | Not disclosed | Foundational biomedical research training |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Gross Salary ($) | $156,140 | $190,286 |
| All Other Compensation ($) | $50,660 | $67,505 |
| Total ($) | $206,800 | $1,301,490 |
Notes:
- All Other Compensation includes vehicle, pension, severance fund, and continuing education fund payments .
- 2023 reflects part-time (80%) status; 2024 reflects full-time post-Business Combination .
Performance Compensation
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Stock Awards ($) | — | $1,043,699 |
Equity Grants Detail (RSUs and Options)
| Grant Type | Year | Quantity | Terms/Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (Silexion Israel) | 2024 | 14,718 RSUs (settle into ordinary shares per exchange ratio) | Vesting accelerated at Business Combination closing (Aug 15, 2024) | Granted under 2013/2023 plans |
| Options | Granted 2022 (converted at Closing) | 7,170 options (exercisable) | Originally 48-month vesting; accelerated at Business Combination (Aug 15, 2024) | Exercise price $60.51; expires 07/06/2032 |
Clawback/Recovery policy: SLXN adopted a Rule 10D-1 compliant clawback effective Aug 15, 2024, covering incentive-based compensation tied to financial reporting measures and requiring recovery after restatement irrespective of misconduct; applies to current/former officers .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Date (Reference) | Beneficial Ownership (Shares) | Ownership % of Outstanding | Components/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 30, 2025 (pre July reverse split context) | 21,888 | <1% (“*”) | Includes 7,170 options exercisable at $60.51 |
| July 15, 2025 (post 1-for-15 split context used in proxy) | 1,460 | <1% (“*”) | Includes 478 options exercisable at $907.65 per share in table’s split-adjusted presentation |
Additional alignment:
- Pledging/Hedging: Policy prohibits short-selling, options/speculative trading, hedging/monetizations, and pledging company stock as collateral; margin accounts disallowed .
- Trading Controls: Strict trading windows, preclearance for access insiders, and 10b5-1 cooling-off (90–120 days) for executives/directors .
- Ownership Guidelines: Not disclosed.
- Stock Ownership Guidelines compliance: Not disclosed.
Employment Terms
- Employment Agreements: Post-Closing, SLXN “has entered or will enter into employment agreements” with NEOs; detailed severance/change-of-control terms for Dr. Shirvan not disclosed .
- Insider Trading Policy: Enforced trading windows, preclearance, and restrictions; includes prohibition on speculative trades, hedging, and pledging; outlines post-termination trading blackout related to material non-public information .
- Clawback: Company-wide clawback under SEC/Nasdaq rules, non-indemnifiable and additive to other recoupment rights .
Performance & Track Record
- Program data: Phase 2 trial of first-generation siRNA (LODER) in LAPC showed a 9.3-month numerical median OS advantage (22.7 vs 13.4 months) in KRAS G12D/V subset; not powered for statistical significance (HR=0.59; p=0.39), safety acceptable, and intratumoral delivery showed no systemic exposure in plasma .
- Platform advancement: SIL204 preclinical data show broad KRAS silencing, tumor growth inhibition, and reduced metastatic burden; improved stability and potential systemic viability in models .
- Regulatory path: BfArM (Germany) agreed in principle to Phase 2/3 design; SLXN plans CTA in Q1/H1 2026 and Phase 2/3 initiation in H1 2026 .
- Company context: SLXN is pre-revenue and requires ongoing financing; equity pool increase and authorized capital actions support talent incentives and listing compliance .
Investment Implications
- Pay mix and retention: 2024 compensation is heavily equity-based (>$1.0M stock awards) versus 2023, indicating alignment with value creation and retention via RSUs/options; accelerated vesting at the Business Combination could create periodic liquidity but trading is constrained by windows and 10b5-1 plans .
- Alignment safeguards: Prohibitions on hedging/pledging and a robust clawback reduce misalignment and reputational risk around compensation .
- Execution risk: SLXN’s pre-revenue status and financing needs increase reliance on clinical/regulatory milestones; performance compensation is implicitly tied to program progress rather than near-term financial metrics .
- Insider selling pressure: No Form 4 transaction data was found in company filings; preclearance, windows, and cooling-off rules restrict opportunistic sales, moderating short-term selling pressure; monitor future Form 4s for any 10b5-1 activity .
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