Ionis strengthens leadership team with appointments of Joseph Baroldi as chief business officer and Eric Bastings, M.D., as vice president, development strategy

Rhea-AI Summary

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IONS) has appointed Joseph T. Baroldi as executive vice president and chief business officer, effective January 31, 2022, and Eric P. Bastings, M.D., as vice president of development strategy. Baroldi, with over 20 years of experience, previously served as COO at Avidity Biosciences and held various roles at Ionis. Dr. Bastings brings over 20 years of regulatory experience from the FDA. The appointments aim to enhance business development and clinical leadership, crucial for advancing Ionis' innovative neurology pipeline.

Positive

• Joseph T. Baroldi brings over 20 years of industry experience, enhancing business development capabilities.
• Eric P. Bastings offers extensive regulatory experience, supporting advancements in the clinical pipeline.
• Appointments seen as pivotal for maximizing patient and shareholder value.

Negative

• None.

CARLSBAD, Calif., Jan. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IONS) today announced two appointments that strengthen its leadership team and further position it to become a leading, fully integrated biotechnology company. Joseph T. Baroldi will assume the role of executive vice president and chief business officer, effective Jan. 31, 2022. He will serve as a member of Ionis' executive leadership team and report to Brett P. Monia, Ph.D., Ionis' chief executive officer. In his role, Mr. Baroldi will provide strategic guidance for and lead Ionis' business development and alliance management activities. The company also appointed Eric P. Bastings, M.D., as vice president, development strategy. Dr. Bastings will draw on his extensive experience, including as the former deputy director of the Office of Neuroscience at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to provide senior clinical and regulatory leadership in support of Ionis' goal to bring transformational medicines to the market. He will report to Richard S. Geary, Ph.D., Ionis' executive vice president and chief development officer.

"I'm excited to welcome Mr. Baroldi and Dr. Bastings to Ionis at this pivotal time. They both bring extensive experience that will be instrumental as we continue our efforts to maximize value for patients and shareholders," said Dr. Monia. "Mr. Baroldi's strong background in business and science, combined with his familiarity with Ionis, ensure that he can immediately contribute to strengthening our partnerships and further advancing Ionis' technology through strategic business transactions. Dr. Bastings' deep experience with clinical development and regulatory process will be invaluable as we advance key mid- and late-stage programs, including those in our industry-leading neurology pipeline."

Mr. Baroldi has more than 20 years of industry experience and joins Ionis from Avidity Biosciences, where he served as chief operating officer, playing an integral role in their initial public offering and building their team over the last two years. Previously, he was vice president, business development at Ionis, where he held several roles of increasing responsibility over 10 years. At Ionis, he executed on strategic transactions that resulted in the creation of significant value for the company. Before that Mr. Baroldi held positions in strategic planning and scientific research.

Mr. Baroldi holds an M.B.A. from the Rady School of Management at the University of California-San Diego. He received his B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of California-Irvine.

Dr. Bastings recently retired from the FDA after a distinguished career of more than 20 years. In his most recent position at the agency, Dr. Bastings provided strategic and clinical oversight of five review divisions and led scientific and regulatory activities, including the evaluation of the design of human trials supporting development programs for investigational new drugs across all neuroscience therapeutic areas, as well as the evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of drugs across all neuroscience therapeutic areas (NDAs, BLAs, and supplements).

Dr. Bastings received his medical degree from the University of Liege in Belgium, where he also completed his neurology residency.

About Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

For more than 30 years, Ionis has been the leader in RNA-targeted therapy, pioneering new markets and changing standards of care with its novel antisense technology. Ionis currently has three marketed medicines and a premier late-stage pipeline highlighted by industry-leading neurological and cardiometabolic franchises. Our scientific innovation began and continues with the knowledge that sick people depend on us, which fuels our vision of becoming one of the most successful biotechnology companies.

To learn more about Ionis visit www.ionispharma.com and follow us on Twitter @ionispharma.

Ionis' Forward-looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding Ionis' business and the therapeutic and commercial potential of Ionis' technologies and other products in development. Any statement describing Ionis' goals, expectations, financial or other projections, intentions or beliefs is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including those related to the impact COVID-19 could have on our business, and including but not limited to those related to our commercial products and the medicines in our pipeline, and particularly those inherent in the process of discovering, developing and commercializing medicines that are safe and effective for use as human therapeutics, and in the endeavor of building a business around such medicines. Ionis' forward-looking statements also involve assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove correct, could cause its results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Although Ionis' forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of its management, these statements are based only on facts and factors currently known by Ionis. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These and other risks concerning Ionis' programs are described in additional detail in Ionis' annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, and the most recent Form 10-Q quarterly filing, which are on file with the SEC. Copies of these and other documents are available from the Company.

In this press release, unless the context requires otherwise, "Ionis," "Company," "we," "our," and "us" refers to Ionis Pharmaceuticals and its subsidiaries.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals® is a trademark of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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SOURCE Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

FAQ

What recent leadership changes occurred at Ionis Pharmaceuticals?

Ionis Pharmaceuticals appointed Joseph T. Baroldi as executive vice president and chief business officer, and Eric P. Bastings as vice president of development strategy.

What is Joseph T. Baroldi's background and role at Ionis?

Joseph T. Baroldi has over 20 years of experience, previously serving as COO at Avidity Biosciences and held various roles at Ionis. He will lead business development and alliance management.

How will Eric P. Bastings contribute to Ionis Pharmaceuticals?

Eric P. Bastings, formerly with the FDA, will provide senior clinical and regulatory leadership to support the development of Ionis' pipeline, particularly in neurology.

When will Joseph T. Baroldi officially start his role at Ionis?

Joseph T. Baroldi will assume his role as chief business officer on January 31, 2022.