"My guess is that NP understands this, and that his earn-out - and leronlimab's benefit to humanity - may be higher if he takes himself out of the conversation."

The PR made it clear that NP did NOT "take himself out of the conversation."

He was fired.

There are a number of possible scenarios.

1) He disagreed with what the board saw as the way forward, dug in his heels, and was canned.
2) A prospective partner did not want him involved.
3) Sidley Austin, whose website says that they advise biotech companies how best to advance their business, made it clear to the board that he was impeding the company's ability to find a partner.
4) Two similar possibilities, in my opinion unlikely but need to be listed:
a) Sidley Austin and the new board member are concerned that his big mouth has triggered enough of the phony "shareholder" suits that they seek to distance the company from him.
b) there is some concern about the self-enrichment and stock sale stuff, and again, distancing the company from him

I view this development as a positive for the company. Many of us have been frustrated with the nothingburger video updates and his truly awful communication style, which always hurt the company.