BEDMINSTER, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: NPSP), a biopharmaceutical company pioneering and delivering therapies that transform the lives of patients with rare diseases worldwide, today announced that president and chief executive officer Francois Nader, M.D. has received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2013 Award in the Life Sciences category in New Jersey. Dr. Nader was presented with the award at a special gala event on June 13 at the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick, New Jersey.
“I’m truly honored to accept this award and be recognized by Ernst & Young among the successful entrepreneurs in New Jersey,” said Dr. Nader. “It’s an exciting moment for the entire NPS team, which has achieved so much and works so hard each and every day to bring innovative therapeutics to patients suffering from rare diseases around the world.”
Dr. Nader joined NPS in 2006 and was appointed president and chief executive officer in March 2008. He led the company’s transformation into a global commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on bringing innovative treatments to patients with rare diseases. During his tenure, Dr. Nader created a values-driven culture-by-design that contributed to NPS being named as one of the top 100 companies to work for in New Jersey for two consecutive years. Earlier this year, NPS launched Gattex® (teduglutide [rDNA Origin]) for injection, its first medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Commission. The company is now preparing to seek approval for its second orphan drug candidate, Natpara® (recombinant human parathyroid hormone (rhPTH [1-84]). In March, Dr. Nader established NPS as a global commercial rare disease company by reacquiring the worldwide rights to its two lead drugs from Takeda GmbH. During Dr. Nader's five-year tenure as president and chief executive officer, his focus on value creation has significantly contributed to a seven-fold increase in the company's market capitalization.
As a New Jersey award winner, Dr. Nader will next compete at the national level. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the National Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California on November 16. The awards are the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.
Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
In New Jersey, local sponsors include PNC Bank, DLA Piper, Merrill Corporation, Morgan Lewis, Empire Valuation Consultants, Scherzer International, SolomonEdwardsGroup, Cresa NJ, Gibbons, Murray Devine, New Jersey Technology Council, NJBIZ, WithumSmith+Brown.
About Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award recognizes the significant contributions of entrepreneurs who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement.
About NPS Pharmaceuticals
NPS Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company pioneering and delivering therapies that transform the lives of patients with rare diseases worldwide. The company’s lead product, teduglutide (Gattex® (U.S.)/Revestive® (EU)) is for adult Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS). NPS is also developing Natpara® (recombinant human parathyroid hormone or rhPTH[1-84]) for the treatment of adult hypoparathyroidism and subject to the resolution of certain manufacturing issues, expects to submit its Biologic License Application (BLA) to the FDA in the second half of 2013.
NPS' earlier stage pipeline includes two calcilytic compounds, NPSP790 and NPSP795, with potential application in rare disorders involving increased calcium receptor activity, such as autosomal dominant hypocalcemia with hypercalciuria (ADHH). NPS complements its proprietary programs with a royalty-based portfolio of products and product candidates that includes agreements with Amgen, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Kyowa Hakko Kirin. Additional information about NPS is available through its corporate website, http://www.npsp.com.
“NPS,” “NPS Pharmaceuticals,” “Gattex,” “Natpara,” “Preotact,” and “Revestive” are the company's trademarks.
Disclosure notice
Statements made in this press release, which are not historical in nature, constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on the company's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning our future financial performance. Risks associated to the company's business include, but are not limited to, the risks associated with any failure by the company to successfully commercialize Gattex, including the risk that physicians and patients may not see the advantages of Gattex and may therefore be reluctant to utilize the product, the risk that private and public payers may be reluctant to cover or provide reimbursement for Gattex, the risk that the company may be unable to resolve the manufacturing issue in order to submit its BLA for Natpara, the risks associated with the company's strategy, global macroeconomic conditions, the impact of changes in management or staff levels, the effect of legislation effecting healthcare reform in the United States, as well as other risk factors described in the company's periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K and Form 10-Qs. All information in this press release is as of the date of this release and NPS undertakes no duty to update this information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
