CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 3, 2004--Alkermes, Inc., (NASDAQ: ALKS) today announced the election of Mark Skaletsky to the company's board of directors. Mr. Skaletsky will bring extensive biotechnology and business expertise to the Alkermes board, and he qualifies as an independent director as defined under the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 and the NASDAQ stock exchange regulations.
Mr. Skaletsky has more than thirty years of experience serving in executive management positions and leading major growth and acquisition activities for biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Mr. Skaletsky is currently Chairman, CEO and President of Trine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held drug development company. Previously, Mr. Skaletsky was President and CEO of GelTex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a developer of non-absorbed polymer drugs, which was acquired by Genzyme for more than $1 billion in December 2000. Mr. Skaletsky held the position of Chairman and CEO of Enzytech, Inc., from 1988 to 1993, and he was President and Chief Operating Officer of Biogen, Inc., from 1981 to 1988.
"Mark Skaletsky will bring to our Board of Directors longstanding experience as a biotech executive and a unique perspective on taking major evolutionary steps in growing biotech businesses" said Richard Pops, Chief Executive Officer of Alkermes. "We welcome his extensive knowledge of biotech business and look forward to his contributions as Alkermes continues its growth."
Mr. Skaletsky was among the founders of the Industrial Biotechnology Association, a predecessor to the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), and is a former chairman of BIO. He serves on the Board of Directors of Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., ImmunoGen, Inc. and Paradigm Genetics. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Trustees of Bentley College.
Alkermes, Inc. is a pharmaceutical company that develops products based on sophisticated drug delivery technologies to enhance therapeutic outcomes in major diseases. The company's lead commercial product, Risperdal(R) Consta(TM) ((risperidone) long-acting injection), is the first and only long-acting atypical antipsychotic medication approved for use in schizophrenia, and is marketed worldwide by Jannsen, a division of Johnson & Johnson. The company's lead proprietary product candidate, Vivitrex(R) ((naltrexone) long-acting injection), is a once-a-month injection for the treatment of alcohol dependence. Alkermes has a pipeline of extended-release injectable and pulmonary drug products based on its proprietary technology and expertise. The company's headquarters are in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it operates research and manufacturing facilities in Massachusetts and Ohio.
For more information on Alkermes, please visit www.alkermes.com.
CONTACT: Alkermes, Inc.
Rebecca Peterson
Director, Corporate Communications
(617) 583-6378
SOURCE: Alkermes, Inc.