DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 23, 2015--
Alkermes
plc (NASDAQ: ALKS) today announced that it has appointed Mark
Namchuk, Ph.D., as Senior Vice President of Research, Pharmaceutical and
Nonclinical Development. Dr. Namchuk will be responsible for advancing
the company’s early-stage product pipeline. He will serve on the
executive management team of Alkermes and report to Elliot Ehrich, M.D.,
Senior Vice President of Research & Development and Chief Medical
Officer.
“Dr. Namchuk brings a wealth of valuable drug discovery and development
expertise to our team, which will help to further strengthen our
increasingly robust product pipeline,” said Richard Pops, Chief
Executive Officer of Alkermes. “We look forward to his contributions and
drug development insights as we create innovative new medicines and
design studies to demonstrate their differentiated properties in
addressing patient needs.”
Dr. Namchuk joins Alkermes with nearly 20 years of experience in
integrated R&D and drug discovery. Most recently, Dr. Namchuk served as
Senior Vice President and Interim Global Head of Research for Vertex
Pharmaceuticals, leading a group of more than 450 researchers in the
discovery of transformational medicines in the areas of infectious
disease, oncology, inflammatory diseases, neurology and cystic fibrosis.
He has built and led departments supporting the critical components of
early pharmaceutical R&D, including medicinal chemistry, protein
biophysics, in vitro and in vivo pharmacology, drug
metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and clinical and preclinical biomarkers.
Earlier in his career, he served as the head of the biochemistry group
at Cubist Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Namchuk obtained his doctorate in
bioorganic chemistry from the University of British Columbia and
completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of California,
San Francisco.
“It is an exciting time to join the Alkermes team, with a number of
promising programs underway across the company. I look forward to
helping advance our current priority drug candidates for CNS diseases
and guiding our pharmaceutical development strategy for the future,”
said Dr. Namchuk.
About Alkermes
Alkermes plc is a fully integrated, global biopharmaceutical company
that applies its scientific expertise and proprietary technologies to
develop innovative medicines that improve patient outcomes. The company
has a diversified portfolio of more than 20 commercial drug products and
a substantial clinical pipeline of product candidates that address
central nervous system (CNS) disorders such as addiction, schizophrenia
and depression. Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Alkermes plc has an
R&D center in Waltham, Massachusetts; a research and manufacturing
facility in Athlone, Ireland; and manufacturing facilities in
Gainesville, Georgia and Wilmington, Ohio. For more information, please
visit Alkermes’ website at www.alkermes.com.
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements set forth in this press release constitute
“forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, but not
limited to, statements concerning the therapeutic value of the company’s
investigational product candidates. The company cautions that
forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Although the
company believes that such statements are based on reasonable
assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and
operations, the forward-looking statements are neither promises nor
guarantees and they are necessarily subject to a high degree of
uncertainty and risk. Actual performance and results may differ
materially from those projected or suggested in the forward-looking
statements due to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and
uncertainties include those risks described in the Alkermes plc
Transition Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal period ended December 31,
2013, and in other subsequent filings made by the company with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available on the
SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
The information contained in this press release is provided by the
company as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, the
company disclaims any intention or responsibility for publicly updating
or revising any forward-looking information.
Source: Alkermes plc
Alkermes
For Investors:
Rebecca Peterson, 781-609-6378
or
For
Media:
Jennifer Snyder, 781-609-6166