Anika enters cooperation pact with Caligan, appoints two new directors to board

Anika Therapeutics (ANIK) announced that it has entered into a cooperation agreement with Caligan Partners. As part of the agreement, Joseph Capper, CEO of MiMedx (MDXG), and William Jellison, former CFO of Stryker (SYK), have been appointed to the company’s board of directors, effective immediately. Both will serve on the capital allocation committee. Capper and Jellison will join the board as Class II and I directors, respectively. The Anika board will temporarily expand to ten directors until the retirement of current Anika director Jeffery Thompson is effective at the 2024 annual meeting of stockholders. Following the annual meeting, the board will comprise nine directors, eight of whom are independent. Under the terms of the cooperation agreement, Caligan has agreed to support the board’s full slate of directors at the 2024 annual meeting. In addition, Caligan has agreed to customary standstill, voting commitments and other provisions.