SAN RAFAEL, Calif., July 18, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (Nasdaq:BMRN), a global leader in providing therapies for rare genetic diseases, today announced the appointment of two biopharmaceutical veterans to its Board of Directors: Willard Dere, M.D., Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center and former Senior Vice President in Research and Development at Amgen and Kathryn E. Falberg, former Chief Financial Officer of Jazz Pharmaceuticals and Amgen.
“We are thrilled to have Dr. Dere and Ms. Falberg both join BioMarin’s Board of Directors. They represent some of the most talented leaders in the biopharmaceutical industry and bring additional industry experience in drug development and finance to an already outstanding board,” said Jean-Jacques Bienaimé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at BioMarin. “I am confident they will make meaningful contributions to support BioMarin through a transformative period of growth, as we continue to develop therapies to meet the unmet medical needs of patients with rare genetic diseases.”
“I am honored to serve on the board of a company that shares my passion for translating exciting science into important therapies to address unmet medical needs,” said Willard Dere, M.D. “I look forward to working with BioMarin to help further its efforts to deliver first-in-class and best-in-class therapies to treat patients with rare genetic diseases.”
“I admire BioMarin as a pioneer in developing therapies for rare disease patients and am delighted to become a member of the board,” said Kathryn E. Falberg. “It is an exciting time to join the company, as it continues to build its current business, while advancing its robust pipeline during a time of exceptional growth.”
Dr. Dere and Ms. Falberg join Jean-Jacques Bienaimé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Lead Independent Director Richard Meier, International Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Owens & Minor, Inc., Michael Grey, President and Chief Executive Officer, Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Elaine J. Heron, Ph.D., Director and former Chief Executive Officer, Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc, V. Bryan Lawlis, President and Chief Executive Officer, Itero Biopharmaceuticals, LLC, Alan Lewis, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, DiaVacs, Inc., David Pyott, former Chief Executive Officer of Allergan plc. and Dennis J. Slamon, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine, UCLA Department of Medicine as BioMarin’s Board of Directors.
About Willard Dere, M.D.
Dr. Willard Dere is Professor of Internal Medicine; B. Lue and Hope S. Bettilyon Presidential Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine for Diabetes Research, Executive Director of Personalized Health, and Co-Principal Investigator of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center. Prior to re-joining academia in November 2014, Dr. Dere was in the biopharmaceutical industry for 25 years. He joined Amgen in 2003 where he held multiple roles including head of global development, international research and development, and both corporate and international chief medical officer. He led the development programs for Prolia and several other programs, and retired from Amgen in October 2014. He began his career at Eli Lilly in 1989, and held a number of different global roles in clinical pharmacology, regulatory affairs, and both early-stage translational, and late-stage clinical research. While at Eli Lilly, he led the development of Evista and Forteo. Since 2014, he has been a member of the Board of Directors for Radius Health and serves on the scientific advisory board of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine.
Dr. Dere attended undergraduate and medical school at the University of California, Davis. He trained in internal medicine at the University of Utah and endocrinology/ metabolism at the University of California at San Francisco, and was on the Internal Medicine faculty at the University of Utah for 4 years during which time he was recognized annually with teaching awards. He has published numerous articles; wrote and co-edited a primary care textbook; was awarded the 2008 transformational leadership award from his alma mater; and is a fellow in the American College of Physicians.
About Kathryn E. Falberg
Ms. Kathryn E. Falberg served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc, a multi-national specialty biopharmaceutical company, from March 2012 to March 2014 after serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since December 2009. Her responsibilities at Jazz Pharmaceuticals included strategy, corporate development, corporate communications and information technology. During this period, the company grew rapidly and completed a number of significant acquisitions and financing transactions. From 2001 through 2009, Ms. Falberg worked with a number of smaller companies while serving as a corporate director and audit committee chair for several companies. From 1995 to 2001, Ms. Falberg was with Amgen, a leading global biotechnology company, where she served as Senior Vice President, Finance and Strategy and Chief Financial Officer and prior to that as Vice President Chief Accounting Officer, and Vice President, Treasurer. Ms. Falberg received an M.B.A. and B.A., in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles and is a certified public accountant, inactive.
Ms. Falberg also serves as a member of the board of directors for biopharmaceutical companies Medivation, Aimmune Therapeutics, and aTyr Pharma. Ms. Falberg previously served on the board of directors of Halozyme Therapeutics, QLT, Human Genome Sciences, VISX, and Fresh del Monte.
About BioMarin
BioMarin is a global biotechnology company that develops and commercializes innovative therapies for people with serious and life-threatening rare disorders. The company's portfolio consists of five commercialized products and multiple clinical and pre-clinical product candidates.
For additional information, please visit www.BMRN.com. Information on BioMarin's website is not incorporated by reference into this press release.
BioMarin® is a registered trademarks of BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.