Lantern Pharma Reaffirms Panna Sharma’s Ongoing Role as President and CEO; Warns Investors of Misleading Third-Party Report
Lantern Pharma Inc., an AI-driven oncology company focused on transforming cancer drug development through its proprietary RADR® platform, has issued a formal statement addressing misinformation circulated on a third-party website regarding a purported leadership change within the Company.
The Company clarified that a recently published article from an unverified external source falsely claimed that Panna Sharma had stepped down as President and Chief Executive Officer of Lantern Pharma. According to the Company, this claim is entirely inaccurate, has no factual basis, and was not authorized or communicated by Lantern Pharma or its Board of Directors. The Company emphasized that the report appears to have been intended to mislead investors and the broader market.
Lantern Pharma categorically stated that Mr. Sharma continues to serve in his roles as President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board of Directors. He remains actively involved in overseeing the Company’s strategic direction, operational execution, and advancement of its AI-enabled oncology pipeline. The Company also confirmed that there have been no discussions, decisions, or plans—either internally or at the Board level—regarding any change in the Chief Executive Officer position.
Reinforcing this position, the Company highlighted that Mr. Sharma will continue to lead upcoming investor communications, including a scheduled webcast to discuss Lantern Pharma’s fourth quarter and full-year 2025 financial and operational results. This webcast is set to take place on Monday, March 30, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. During this session, management plans to review financial performance for the period ended December 31, 2025, as well as provide updates on ongoing clinical programs and developments related to the RADR® platform.
The Board of Directors has also publicly affirmed its confidence in Mr. Sharma’s leadership. Donald Jeff Keyser, Chairman of Lantern Pharma’s Board, issued a statement supporting the CEO and addressing the misleading nature of the third-party publication. He noted that under Mr. Sharma’s leadership, the Company continues to make progress across its clinical and technological initiatives, including the advancement of its AI-driven drug discovery platform and the expansion of its oncology pipeline.
Mr. Keyser further referenced recent developments within the Company’s portfolio, including the clearance of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for Starlight Therapeutics’ planned Phase 1 pediatric central nervous system (CNS) cancer trial of STAR-001. This milestone represents an important step in Lantern Pharma’s broader strategy of leveraging artificial intelligence to accelerate the identification and development of novel oncology therapies. The Board’s statement underscored that the Company remains focused on executing its long-term vision and advancing multiple programs through clinical development.
In addition to addressing the misinformation, Lantern Pharma expressed concern over what it described as a potentially deliberate attempt by an unknown third party to influence market perception and investor sentiment through the dissemination of false information. The Company cautioned investors to remain vigilant against such activities, which may be designed to create volatility or confusion in the trading of its securities.
Lantern Pharma advised stakeholders to rely exclusively on official Company communications for accurate and verified information. These include press releases issued directly by the Company, regulatory filings submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and updates published on its investor relations website. The Company emphasized that information from unverified or unofficial sources should not be considered reliable, particularly when it pertains to material corporate developments such as executive leadership changes.
In response to the incident, Lantern Pharma stated that it is actively investigating the origin of the misleading article and the circumstances surrounding its publication. The Company is also examining whether any coordinated trading activity occurred in connection with the dissemination of the false information. Such investigations are intended to determine whether market manipulation may have taken place.
Lantern Pharma indicated that it intends to pursue all available legal remedies to address the situation. This may include taking legal action against responsible parties and, if appropriate, referring the matter to relevant regulatory authorities for further review. The Company’s response reflects a broader commitment to maintaining transparency, protecting shareholder interests, and ensuring the integrity of its market communications.
The situation highlights the increasing importance of information verification in today’s fast-moving digital environment, where unverified claims can spread rapidly and potentially impact investor decisions. For publicly traded companies, particularly those in the biotechnology sector, accurate disclosure of leadership, clinical progress, and financial performance is critical to maintaining trust among investors, partners, and regulators.
Lantern Pharma’s statement serves both as a correction of the misinformation and as a reaffirmation of its ongoing strategic priorities. The Company continues to focus on advancing its AI-driven oncology pipeline, leveraging its RADR® platform to identify potential drug candidates, optimize clinical trial design, and improve the efficiency of drug development processes. The platform integrates large-scale genomic, clinical, and pharmacological data with machine learning algorithms to support decision-making across the drug development lifecycle.
The Company’s approach is centered on reducing the time and cost associated with bringing new cancer therapies to market while increasing the probability of clinical success. By combining artificial intelligence with traditional oncology research and clinical development, Lantern Pharma aims to address unmet needs across multiple cancer indications.
The reaffirmation of leadership stability is particularly important as the Company prepares to communicate its financial and operational results for fiscal year 2025. Leadership continuity is often viewed by investors as a key indicator of organizational stability, strategic consistency, and execution capability. In this context, the Board’s explicit endorsement of Mr. Sharma underscores its confidence in the Company’s current direction and management team.
As Lantern Pharma moves forward, its near-term priorities include advancing clinical programs, expanding the applications of its RADR® platform, and maintaining transparency with stakeholders through regular updates and disclosures. The upcoming webcast will provide an opportunity for management to outline progress made over the past fiscal year, discuss key milestones achieved, and highlight expectations for future development.
In summary, Lantern Pharma has firmly rejected claims of a leadership change reported by an unverified third-party source, confirming that Panna Sharma remains fully engaged as Chief Executive Officer. The Company and its Board have reiterated their confidence in his leadership, emphasized the importance of relying on official disclosures, and indicated that they are taking steps to investigate and respond to the dissemination of false information. As the Company prepares to report its fiscal 2025 results, it continues to focus on advancing its AI-driven oncology programs and maintaining clear, accurate communication with the investment community.
About Lantern Pharma
Lantern Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: LTRN) is a clinical‑stage biopharmaceutical company using its proprietary RADR® artificial intelligence and machine learning platform to transform the cost, pace, and outcomes of oncology drug development. Lantern’s RADR® platform analyzes extensive genomic and drug response data to identify biomarkers that predict patient response, enabling more efficient and targeted clinical trials.
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