Ultragenyx Appoints Corsee Sanders, Ph.D., to Board of Directors
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: RARE) announced the appointment of Corsee Sanders, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors, effective June 29, 2021. Dr. Sanders brings extensive experience in global clinical development and new technologies from her previous roles at Celgene and Juno Therapeutics. CEO Emil D. Kakkis highlighted her expertise as critical for advancing ongoing clinical trials and expanding Ultragenyx's rare disease pipeline. Dr. Sanders holds degrees in statistics and has served on multiple biotechnology boards, further enhancing the company’s leadership in developing therapies for rare genetic diseases.
- Appointment of Dr. Corsee Sanders to the Board of Directors brings extensive experience in biopharma and clinical development.
- Dr. Sanders' expertise is expected to enhance Ultragenyx's clinical trials and rare disease pipeline.
- Her leadership roles in reputable biotech firms may provide fresh perspectives in strategy and operations.
- Potential concerns about continuity due to a new member joining the Board.
- Experience gap may arise as the company adapts to new leadership dynamics.
NOVATO, Calif., June 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: RARE), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapies for serious rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases, today announced the appointment of Corsee Sanders, Ph.D., to the Board of Directors, effective June 29, 2021. Dr. Sanders, an experienced veteran of the biopharma industry, will serve as an independent director.
“Dr. Sanders’ established experience in global clinical development and especially with new technologies will be instrumental as we further advance our ongoing clinical trials and continue to expand our rare disease pipeline of novel therapeutics for patients who have no other treatment options,” said Emil D. Kakkis, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and President of Ultragenyx.
Dr. Sanders most recently served as strategic advisor to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Celgene, following Celgene’s acquisition of Juno where she was an Executive Vice President of Development Operations. She also served as Transition Advisor to Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), which acquired Celgene. In those roles, she ensured the effective integration of Juno’s Chimeric Antigen Receptor T (CAR-T) Cell Development Organization into the Celgene and BMS organizations. Prior to that, Dr. Sanders held numerous leadership positions over the course of 23 years at Genentech/Roche, including serving as Senior Vice President, Global Head of Clinical Operations and Industry Collaboration, for six years.
“The ability to quickly develop effective medicines is critically important in rare diseases, where patients have few or no treatment options,” said Dr. Sanders. “I am thrilled to join the Ultragenyx Board and support the executive team as it works diligently to make a significant impact on these patient populations.”
Currently, Dr. Sanders serves as a member of the Board of Directors of several biotechnology companies including Beigene Ltd. (NASDAQ: BGNE), Molecular Templates Inc. (NASDAQ: MTEM), Legend Biotech Corporation (NASDAQ: LEGN), and AltruBio (formerly AbGenomics) Inc. She is a member of the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Research Ethics Committee for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, a non-profit cancer research organization in Seattle. Dr. Sanders graduated magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines where she earned a B.S. and M.S. in statistics. She also earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in statistics from the Wharton Doctoral Program at the University of Pennsylvania.
About Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
Ultragenyx is a biopharmaceutical company committed to bringing novel therapies to patients for the treatment of serious rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases. The company has built a diverse portfolio of approved medicines and treatment candidates aimed at addressing diseases with high unmet medical need and clear biology, for which there are typically no approved therapies treating the underlying disease.
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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Joshua Higa
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