Ultragenyx Appoints Daniel G. Welch to Board of Directors


NOVATO, Calif., April 13, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (Nasdaq:RARE), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel products for rare and ultra-rare diseases, today announced the appointment of Daniel G. Welch to the company's Board of Directors effective April 8, 2015. Mr. Welch, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of InterMune and current Executive Partner at Sofinnova Ventures, will serve as an independent director to Ultragenyx.

"On behalf of the Board of Directors and executive team at Ultragenyx, I am pleased to welcome Dan. Dan brings significant experience in building and leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies from clinical-stage development through large-scale commercialization in both the domestic and international markets," said Emil D. Kakkis, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Ultragenyx.  "His experience brings significant added value to the company, and complements the skills and experience of our other board members."

"I am excited to join Ultragenyx at such a transformative time for the company," said Mr. Welch. "It's an exciting opportunity to join a company that is bold and innovative in developing therapies for rare and ultra-rare diseases. I look forward to working with the Board and the Ultragenyx team."

Mr. Welch has a distinguished track record as a life sciences executive, with over 30 years of experience across both multi-national pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Mr. Welch joined Sofinnova Ventures, a leading venture capital firm in biotechnology, in 2015 as an Executive Partner. From 2003 until the acquisition by Roche in October 2014, Mr. Welch was the Chairman, CEO and President of InterMune, where he built the development and commercial teams that delivered the successful approval of Esbriet in the U.S., Europe and other territories. Prior to InterMune, Mr. Welch served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Triangle Pharmaceuticals, Inc., President of the pharmaceutical division of Elan Corporation, PLC, and served in various senior management roles at Sanofi-Synthelabo (now Sanofi-Aventis) and its predecessor companies. Prior to this, Mr. Welch was with American Critical Care, a division of American Hospital Supply.

Mr. Welch serves on the boards of directors of Hyperion Therapeutics, which was recently acquired by Horizon Pharma plc, and Seattle Genetics.

Mr. Welch holds a B.S. from the University of Miami and an M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina.

About Ultragenyx

Ultragenyx is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to bringing to market novel products for the treatment of rare and ultra-rare diseases, with a focus on serious, debilitating genetic diseases. Founded in 2010, the company has rapidly built a diverse portfolio of product candidates with the potential to address diseases for which the unmet medical need is high, the biology for treatment is clear, and for which there are no approved therapies.

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 Data