PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ARWR) today announced that the board of directors appointed veteran pharmaceutical industry executive Marianne De Backer, Ph.D., as an independent director of the company, with a term beginning effective immediately.
Douglass Given, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman of the Board of Arrowhead, said, “Marianne is a seasoned pharmaceutical executive, with a stellar track record showing deep scientific expertise and solid commercial acumen across the globe. The perspective she brings as an executive at Bayer and Johnson & Johnson will be valuable to Arrowhead as the company continues to grow.”
“I’m excited to join the Board of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals,” said De Backer. “I have long admired Arrowhead’s proven ability to advance science at a rapid pace toward solving genuine unmet medical needs. I look forward to helping guide the company along that path.”
Marianne De Backer is currently Executive Vice President, Head of Global Business Development & Licensing, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Pharmaceuticals Division of Bayer AG. Before joining Bayer, Dr. De Backer held a series of positions in the Johnson & Johnson family of companies. She started as a scientist and scientific group leader during which time her work resulted in multiple patents. She progressed through commercial positions internationally including leading a sales and marketing business unit responsible for several product lines, culminating as Vice President, M&A Operations, Divestitures, and Janssen Business Development. During her tenure with Johnson & Johnson, Dr. De Backer had direct accountability for over 200 strategic alliances. Dr. De Backer received a MSc in Molecular Biology from the University of Brussels, Belgium, a Masters in Engineering and Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Biotechnology from the University of Ghent, Belgium, and an MBA from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, The Netherlands.
About Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals develops medicines that treat intractable diseases by silencing the genes that cause them. Using a broad portfolio of RNA chemistries and efficient modes of delivery, Arrowhead therapies trigger the RNA interference mechanism to induce rapid, deep, and durable knockdown of target genes. RNA interference, or RNAi, is a mechanism present in living cells that inhibits the expression of a specific gene, thereby affecting the production of a specific protein. Arrowhead’s RNAi-based therapeutics leverage this natural pathway of gene silencing.
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Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act:
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon our current expectations and speak only as of the date hereof. Our actual results may differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of various factors and uncertainties, including the safety and efficacy of our product candidates, the duration and impact of regulatory delays in our clinical programs, our ability to finance our operations, the likelihood and timing of the receipt of future milestone and licensing fees, the future success of our scientific studies, our ability to successfully develop and commercialize drug candidates, the timing for starting and completing clinical trials, rapid technological change in our markets, and the enforcement of our intellectual property rights. Our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q discuss some of the important risk factors that may affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. We assume no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect new events or circumstances.
Source: Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
