BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALXN) today announced the appointment of Uzair Qadeer as the company’s first Chief Diversity Officer. In this new role, Mr. Qadeer will be responsible for shaping the company’s diversity, inclusion and belonging (DI&B) strategy, building relationships with key leaders, communities, and organizations to create awareness and advocacy for diversity and inclusion efforts, and advancing a unique culture of belonging for Alexion’s patients and employees. The appointment of Mr. Qadeer will also accelerate Alexion’s efforts to embed DI&B across the company, spanning employee programs, corporate social responsibility initiatives, culture efforts, and patient programs. Mr. Qadeer will serve on Alexion’s Executive Committee, reporting to Ludwig Hantson, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at Alexion.
“Establishing the Chief Diversity Officer role at Alexion is an important next step in our continued efforts to cultivate diversity, inclusion and a unique sense of belonging at the company, all of which enhances our ability to deliver on our mission of transforming the lives of patients with rare diseases and devastating conditions,” said Dr. Hantson. “Uzair has been instrumental in helping to shape Alexion’s approach to diversity and inclusion to date, and I am confident that, in this new role, he will help us build a stronger, even more inclusive organization, while ensuring every voice within the company is heard.”
Prior to assuming the role of Chief Diversity Officer, Mr. Qadeer served as Vice President, Head of Enterprise Partnership at Alexion, helping the company build leading-edge vision and capabilities in executive coaching, HR business partnership, and strategic workforce planning, while shaping the company’s initial DI&B strategy. Before joining Alexion in February 2019, Mr. Qadeer worked in roles of increasing responsibility in Deloitte’s Human Capital consulting practice where he advised clients across industries and geographies on forward-looking human capital topics spanning talent management, organizational design and development, human resources management, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Prior to that, Mr. Qadeer worked at Bristol Myers Squibb Company, expatriating to Rome, Italy and gaining deep insights in global and international work. Additionally, Mr. Qadeer also taught at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Mr. Qadeer received his master’s degree as well as his B.A. and B.S. degrees from Pennsylvania State University.
“At Alexion, we believe that diversity is having a seat at the table, inclusion is having a voice, and belonging is having that voice be heard. Our work isn’t done until our employees and patients can feel a true sense of belonging,” said Mr. Qadeer. “Magnetizing and incubating diverse talent will allow us to harness diverse insights that fuel innovation and create value for the patients we serve. I am committed to activating this purposeful vision.”
About Alexion
Alexion is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on serving patients and families affected by rare diseases and devastating conditions through the discovery, development and commercialization of life-changing medicines. As a leader in rare diseases for more than 25 years, Alexion has developed and commercializes two approved complement inhibitors to treat patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), as well as the first and only approved complement inhibitor to treat anti-acetylcholine receptor (AchR) antibody-positive generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Alexion also has two highly innovative enzyme replacement therapies for patients with life-threatening and ultra-rare metabolic disorders, hypophosphatasia (HPP) and lysosomal acid lipase deficiency (LAL-D) as well as the first and only approved Factor Xa inhibitor reversal agent. In addition, the company is developing several mid-to-late-stage therapies, including a copper-binding agent for Wilson disease, an anti-neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) antibody for rare Immunoglobulin G (IgG)-mediated diseases and an oral Factor D inhibitor as well as several early-stage therapies, including one for light chain (AL) amyloidosis, a second oral Factor D inhibitor and a third complement inhibitor. Alexion focuses its research efforts on novel molecules and targets in the complement cascade and its development efforts on the core therapeutic areas of hematology, nephrology, neurology, metabolic disorders and cardiology. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Alexion has offices around the globe and serves patients in more than 50 countries. This press release and further information about Alexion can be found at: www.alexion.com.
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Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements related to: the Company’s planned implementation of the diversity, inclusion and belonging (DI&B) strategy; the expected benefits of the DI&B strategy and its implementation; the acceleration of Alexion’s efforts to embed DI&B across the organizational ecosystem, spanning employee programs, corporate social responsibility initiatives, culture efforts, and patient programs; the Company will continue efforts to cultivate diversity, inclusion and a unique sense of belonging at the Company, all of which enhances our ability to deliver on our mission of transforming the lives of patients with rare diseases and devastating conditions; and the Chief Diversity Officer will help build a stronger, even more inclusive organization. Forward-looking statements are subject to factors that may cause Alexion's results and plans to differ materially from those forward-looking statements, including for example: the Company may not be able to implement its planned DI&B initiatives, the Company may not realize the benefits from the DI&B initiatives contemplated by the Company; the Company may not be able to implement some or all of its DI&B plans; our dependence on sales from our principal product (SOLIRIS); our ability to facilitate the timely conversion from SOLIRIS to ULTOMIRIS; payer, physician and patient acceptance of ULTOMIRIS as an alternative to SOLIRIS; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Alexion’s business, including its sales, clinical trials, operations, DI&B and HR initiatives, and supply chain; future competition from biosimilars and novel products; decisions of regulatory authorities regarding the adequacy of our research, marketing approval or material limitations on the marketing of our products; delays or failure of product candidates to obtain regulatory approval; delays or the inability to launch product candidates due to regulatory restrictions, anticipated expense or other reasons; results in early stage clinical trials may not be indicative of full results or results from later stage or larger clinical trials (or in broader patient populations) and do not ensure regulatory approval; the possibility that current rates of adoption of our products are not sustained; the adequacy of our pharmacovigilance and drug safety reporting processes; failure to protect and enforce our data, intellectual property and proprietary rights and the risks and uncertainties relating to intellectual property claims, lawsuits and challenges against us (including intellectual property lawsuits relating to ULTOMIRIS brought by third parties against Alexion); the risk that third party payors (including governmental agencies) will not reimburse or continue to reimburse for the use of our products at acceptable rates or at all; potential declines in sovereign credit ratings or sovereign defaults in countries where we sell our products; delay of collection or reduction in reimbursement due to adverse economic conditions or changes in government and private insurer regulations and approaches to reimbursement; uncertainties surrounding legal proceedings, company investigations and government investigations; the risk that estimates regarding the number of patients with PNH, aHUS, gMG, NMOSD, HPP and LAL-D and other indications we are pursuing are inaccurate; and a variety of other risks set forth from time to time in Alexion's filings with the SEC, including but not limited to the risks discussed in Alexion's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2020 and in our other filings with the SEC. Alexion disclaims any obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, except when a duty arises under law.
