NOVATO, Calif., Feb. 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: RARE), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel products for serious rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases, today announced the appointment of Shehnaaz Suliman, M.D., to the company’s Board of Directors, effective January 30, 2019. Dr. Suliman, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy of Theravance Biopharma, Inc., will serve as an independent director to Ultragenyx.
“Dr. Suliman joins the Ultragenyx Board at a key time for the company, and her corporate and commercial strategy experience will be a valuable asset as we continue to advance our pipeline and deliver therapies to patients with rare diseases in need of treatment options,” said Emil D. Kakkis, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and President of Ultragenyx.
“Having watched Ultragenyx over the past few years, the company’s progress in becoming a global, commercial-stage rare disease company has been formidable,” said Dr. Suliman. “I am excited to join the Board and look forward to contributing to the team’s growing success.”
Dr. Suliman has held her current position at Theravance since July 2017. Previously, she worked for Genentech, Inc., as Group Leader and Project Team Leader in the R&D Portfolio Management and Operations Group from September 2010 to May 2015 and then as Vice President and Global Therapeutic Head, Roche Partnering from June 2015 to July 2017. Prior to Genentech, Dr. Suliman held various management roles of increasing responsibility at Gilead Sciences, Inc. between January 2005 and September 2010. Prior to Gilead, Dr. Suliman was an investment banker with Lehman Brothers and Petkevich & Partners, advising public and private companies on buy- and sell-side transactions. She is a member of the board of directors of Parvus Therapeutics, Inc., a private biopharmaceutical company. Dr. Suliman received her M.D. at the University of Cape Town Medical School, South Africa, and holds an M.B.A, with distinction, and M.Phil. in Development Studies degrees from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.
About Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
Ultragenyx is a biopharmaceutical company committed to bringing to patients novel products for the treatment of serious rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases. The company has built a diverse portfolio of approved therapies and product candidates aimed at addressing diseases with high unmet medical need and clear biology for treatment, for which there are no approved therapies.
The company is led by a management team experienced in the development and commercialization of rare disease therapeutics. Ultragenyx’s strategy is predicated upon time- and cost-efficient drug development, with the goal of delivering safe and effective therapies to patients with the utmost urgency.
For more information on Ultragenyx, please visit the Company’s website at www.ultragenyx.com.
Contact Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
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Danielle Keatley
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