Phillip Balatsos, an independent director, was appointed to Aspire Biopharma's board to support development of its drug delivery platform.

Aspire Biopharma Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASBP) ("Aspire" or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company developing multi-faceted patent-pending drug delivery technology, today announced the appointment of Phillip Balatsos to its Board of Directors, effective February 6, 2026. The appointment follows the planned departures of Suren Ajjarapu and Donald G. Fell, from the board.

"On behalf of our Board, I am delighted to welcome Phillip to the Aspire Biopharma Board. His leadership experience will provide invaluable guidance as the organization continues to evolve and strengthen," said Kraig Higginson, Interim CEO and Chairperson of the Aspire Biopharma Board. "We are confident that his insights will help accelerate our strategy of reformulating established drugs with large markets and reinforce the Companys commitment to patients, customers, and shareholders."

Phillip Balatsos is a senior financial markets executive and board director with over 25 years of experience across foreign exchange, emerging markets, institutional sales and trading, and public company governance. He has held leadership roles at global financial institutions including Barclays Capital, Credit Suisse, and XP Investments, and currently operates within an independent trading platform at Oscar Gruss & Son.

In addition to his capital markets career, Mr. Balatsos brings entrepreneurial and operating experience, having founded and scaled a multi-location hospitality business and advised national restaurant groups on procurement, pricing, and operational efficiency. This background provides a pragmatic operators perspective on margins, cost structures, and execution-particularly valuable in growth and turnaround environments.

Mr. Balatsos currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Inspire Veterinary Partners, Inc., where he is a member of the Audit Committee, and Ciso Global, Inc., a cybersecurity and risk management company. He previously served on the Board of Sadot Group Inc., contributing to its transformation from a restaurant operator into a global agri-commodity trading and food supply chain business, and serving on both the Audit and Executive Compensation Committees.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Skidmore College, with a minor in International Relations and a concentration in Spanish.

Phillip Balatsos will serve on the Audit and Compensation Committees.

"The Companys mission to provide rapid-onset therapeutics through novel sublingual formulations resonates strongly with my experience in scaling growth-stage companies," said Mr. Balatsos. "I look forward to supporting this team as they advance their platform and drive the next phase of growth and innovation."

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