Leiden, The Netherlands, April 8, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prosensa Holding N.V. (NASDAQ: RNA), the Dutch biopharmaceutical company focusing on rare diseases with a high unmet medical need, today announced that Michael S. Wyzga has been nominated for appointment to its Supervisory Board at the next shareholders' meeting, scheduled for June 17, 2014.
"We welcome Michael as an instrumental addition to our Supervisory Board," said Hans Schikan, Prosensa's CEO. "Michael's extensive financial and transactional expertise will support the company significantly in our efforts to bring much-needed, life-saving treatments for rare genetic diseases to patients. His long-term tenure at Genzyme, one of the most successful companies in the rare disease space, will be invaluable as we continue developing therapies for boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and building our company."
Mr. Wyzga most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Radius Health. Prior to joining Radius, Mr. Wyzga was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Genzyme Corporation until its $20.1 billion acquisition by Sanofi in April 2011. He joined Genzyme in 1998 and held primary responsibility for the company's financial management worldwide. Mr. Wyzga currently serves on the board of directors for OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Akebia Therapeutics and Idenix Pharmaceuticals.
"Michael's corporate leadership experience in rare diseases makes him an ideal fit for Prosensa, and his contribution will be vital as the company works to successfully advance its DMD drug pipeline," said David Mott, Chairman of Prosensa's Supervisory Board.
"I am pleased to join Prosensa at such a significant moment in the company's history and look forward to working alongside a world-class team with exceptional leadership in rare diseases," said Michael Wyzga. "It is an honor to be able to share my experience and contribute to the future direction and growth of a company working so diligently to find a therapeutic option for boys with this devastating disease."
Notes to editors
About Prosensa Holding N.V.
Prosensa (NASDAQ: RNA) is a Dutch biotechnology company engaged in the discovery and development of RNA-modulating therapeutics for the treatment of genetic disorders. Its primary focus is on rare neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders with a large unmet medical need, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), myotonic dystrophy and Huntington's disease.
Prosensa's current portfolio includes six compounds for the treatment of DMD, all of which have received orphan drug status in the United States and the European Union. The compounds use an innovative technique called exon-skipping to provide a personalized medicine approach to treat different populations of DMD patients. www.prosensa.com