Vertex Appoints Jonathan Biller as Chief Legal Officer

Rhea-AI Summary

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) appointed Jonathan Biller as Chief Legal Officer effective September 19, 2022. Biller joins from Agios, where he held multiple executive roles, including Chief Financial Officer. Dr. Reshma Kewalramani, CEO, expressed excitement about Biller's depth of legal and industry experience, expecting him to support Vertex’s growth in cystic fibrosis and other disease treatments. Vertex continues to develop innovative therapies for serious diseases, including sickle cell disease and type 1 diabetes.

Positive

• Jonathan Biller's appointment is expected to strengthen Vertex's leadership team, bringing valuable experience from Agios and Celgene.
• Biller will oversee legal and compliance functions, supporting Vertex's growth in various therapeutic areas.

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• None.

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced that Jonathan Biller has been appointed Chief Legal Officer, effective September 19, 2022. Mr. Biller will report directly to Vertex’s Chief Executive Officer and President, Reshma Kewalramani, M.D., and join the company’s Executive Committee. In this role, Mr. Biller will oversee all of Vertex’s global legal and compliance functions.

“Jonathan is an outstanding addition to Vertex with his deep legal, industry and business experience, and I am delighted to welcome him to the company,” said Dr. Kewalramani. “Jonathan will lead an extraordinarily talented legal and compliance team and support our continued growth as we expand our leadership in cystic fibrosis, advance the pipeline across multiple diseases and modalities, and invest in the next wave of innovation.”

Mr. Biller joins Vertex from Agios, where he served in several executive roles including Chief Legal Officer and most recently Chief Financial Officer and Head of Corporate Affairs. Prior to this, he served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel at Celgene, where he was responsible for their global legal function, and before that as Senior Vice President, Tax and Treasury. Prior to Celgene, Mr. Biller was General Counsel, Chief Tax Officer and Secretary at Bunge Limited, a publicly traded agriculture and food company, and held roles of increasing responsibility at Alcon, Inc. during which time it was a publicly traded company. He began his legal career at Hopkins & Sutter rising to the level of partner and was also partner at Foley & Lardner after the firms merged. He holds a B.A. degree from Brown University and a J.D. from Yale Law School.

“Vertex has a highly differentiated strategy, a special culture that resonates with me, an impressive track record of success, and the potential to truly transform the treatment of multiple serious diseases. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join the company at such an exciting time and work with such talented and committed colleagues to help build the company for the future,” said Mr. Biller.

About Vertex

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. The company has multiple approved medicines that treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis (CF) — a rare, life-threatening genetic disease — and has several ongoing clinical and research programs in CF. Beyond CF, Vertex has a robust pipeline of investigational small molecule, cell and genetic therapies in other serious diseases where it has deep insight into causal human biology, including sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia, APOL1-mediated kidney disease, pain, type 1 diabetes, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Founded in 1989 in Cambridge, Mass., Vertex's global headquarters is now located in Boston's Innovation District and its international headquarters is in London. Additionally, the company has research and development sites and commercial offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Latin America. Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industry's top places to work, including 12 consecutive years on Science magazine's Top Employers list and one of the 2021 Seramount (formerly Working Mother Media) 100 Best Companies. For company updates and to learn more about Vertex's history of innovation, visit www.vrtx.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, the statements in the second and fourth paragraphs of this press release. While Vertex believes the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are accurate, these forward-looking statements represent the company's beliefs only as of the date of this press release and there are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Those risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the risks listed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Vertex's most recent annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and available through the company's website at www.vrtx.com and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Vertex disclaims any obligation to update the information contained in this press release as new information becomes available.

(VRTX-GEN)

Source: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220908005283/en/

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

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Source: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

FAQ

Who is Jonathan Biller, and what is his role at Vertex Pharmaceuticals?

Jonathan Biller is the newly appointed Chief Legal Officer of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, effective September 19, 2022. He will oversee the company's global legal and compliance functions.

What experience does Jonathan Biller bring to Vertex Pharmaceuticals?

Biller brings extensive legal and business experience from roles at Agios, where he served as Chief Legal Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and at Celgene as Executive Vice President and General Counsel.

What are Vertex Pharmaceuticals' goals following the appointment of Jonathan Biller?

Following Biller's appointment, Vertex aims to enhance its leadership in cystic fibrosis and advance its pipeline across multiple diseases and therapeutic modalities.