Guardant Health Announces Appointment of Chris Freeman as Chief Commercial Officer

Rhea-AI Summary

Guardant Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GH) has appointed Chris Freeman as the Chief Commercial Officer for its oncology business, effective June 8, 2021. Freeman brings extensive experience in managing pharmaceutical brands, which will aid in the company's efforts to expand its oncology portfolio for advanced and early-stage cancers. CEO Helmy Eltoukhy emphasized Freeman's role in developing commercial strategies to enhance growth across various market segments.

Positive

• Chris Freeman's extensive experience in pharmaceutical commercialization is expected to strengthen Guardant Health's leadership.
• Freeman's background in managing multi-billion dollar product lines could enhance Guardant's market presence and product adoption.

Negative

• None.

Guardant Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GH), a leading precision oncology company, today announced the appointment of Chris Freeman as the company’s new Chief Commercial Officer for its oncology business, effective June 8, 2021. Chris brings significant experience successfully building and managing pharmaceutical and biotechnology brands through all stages of commercialization, which will be invaluable as the company’s oncology portfolio expands to cover advanced and earlier stage cancers.

Chris Freeman (Photo: Business Wire)

“I am thrilled to welcome Chris Freeman as our new Chief Commercial Officer. Chris’s broad experience leading blockbuster products through commercialization will be essential as we continue to develop and scale our portfolio of products for advanced and early-stage cancers and effectively deploy precision oncology to improve outcomes for patients,” said Helmy Eltoukhy, Guardant Health CEO. “Chris’s leadership and business acumen will be vital as we build the commercial capabilities needed to drive growth in both existing and new market segments as we serve cancer patients across all stages of the disease.”

“I am excited to join Guardant Health in their mission to improve cancer care for all patients,” said Chris Freeman. “The company has made great inroads in introducing cutting-edge new products to improve outcomes in advanced and most recently early-stage cancer, but there remains the challenge of accelerating clinical adoption so that all patients can benefit from precision oncology advancements. I am eager to work with the talented team at Guardant Health to introduce and expand access to ground-breaking new products as well as make sure that clinicians and the patients they serve are aware of how our products can help improve cancer care across the care continuum.”

Prior to joining Guardant Health, Chris worked for the last ten years at Gilead Sciences, Inc. where he served most recently as Vice President of their HIV Business Unit, leading the $13 billion HIV treatment and prevention business. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chris led the Emergency Use Authorization for Veklury (remdesivir) to treat COVID-19. Chris previously worked at Elan Pharmaceuticals where he was commercial lead for Elan’s Alzheimer's pipeline products, and he spent six years at Genentech where he led marketing for their oncology product, Rituxan, and Xolair for patients suffering from asthma and severe allergies. Chris is a member of the National Board of Directors for Dream Foundation, a national dream-granting organization for terminally ill adults and their families.

Chris served in the U.S. Army for five years, first enlisting as a Lieutenant and was promoted to Captain before being honorably discharged in 2001. Chris is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.

About Guardant Health

Guardant Health is a leading precision oncology company focused on helping conquer cancer globally through use of its proprietary blood tests, vast data sets, and advanced analytics. The Guardant Health oncology platform leverages capabilities to drive commercial adoption, improve patient clinical outcomes, and lower healthcare costs across all stages of the cancer care continuum. Guardant Health has commercially launched liquid biopsy-based Guardant360^®, Guardant360 CDx, and GuardantOMNI^® tests for advanced stage cancer patients, and Guardant Reveal™ test for early-stage cancer patients. These tests fuel development of its LUNAR screening program, which aims to address the needs of asymptomatic individuals eligible for cancer screening.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005443/en/

FAQ

What is the significance of Chris Freeman's appointment at Guardant Health (GH)?

Chris Freeman's appointment as Chief Commercial Officer is significant as he brings invaluable experience in building pharmaceutical brands, crucial for expanding Guardant Health's oncology portfolio.

When did Chris Freeman start as Chief Commercial Officer of Guardant Health (GH)?

Chris Freeman officially began his role as Chief Commercial Officer on June 8, 2021.

How could Chris Freeman's experience impact Guardant Health (GH)?

Freeman's extensive experience in managing high-revenue pharmaceutical products could drive growth and improve the commercial strategies of Guardant Health's oncology services.

What are Chris Freeman's previous roles before joining Guardant Health (GH)?

Prior to joining Guardant Health, Freeman held leadership roles at Gilead Sciences, Elan Pharmaceuticals, and Genentech, with a focus on oncology and infectious diseases.