NOVATO, Calif., July 20, 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 it has appointed John Pinion as Chief Quality Operations Officer and Senior Vice President, Analytical Sciences and Research, effective July 13, 2015. In this newly created role, Mr. Pinion will be responsible for the overall quality operations and analytical sciences, including Quality management of all GxP, Compliance, Validation, QC GMP, QC Clinical and QC Research. Mr. Pinion will also participate in translational research, business development, and strategic planning activities as a key member of Ultragenyx's executive leadership team. He will report to Emil D. Kakkis, M.D., Ph.D., Ultragenyx's CEO.
Mr. Pinion has over 25 years of global experience providing executive leadership and expertise in quality and manufacturing management of biologic, pharmaceutical, and device operations in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. He joined Genentech in 2005 as the Vice President of External Quality and held roles with increasing responsibilities including his most recent position as the Senior Vice President and Global Head of Quality and Compliance for Roche/Genentech Pharma Technical Operations. He was responsible for all Biotech and Pharmaceutical Quality and GMP compliance activities across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Prior to joining Genentech, Mr. Pinion held several executive positions for Baxter International both domestically and abroad, in global quality and manufacturing environments including Vice President, Quality, Renal, Cellular Therapies, Baxter Japan and Vice President, Quality North American Operations, Baxter BioScience.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of West Virginia.
"On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Executive Leadership Team, I would like to welcome John to Ultragenyx," said Dr. Kakkis. "As an industry veteran, John's strong strategic leadership and proven track record in leading biotechnology organizations will be an important asset for Ultragenyx as the company prepares for potential commercial-stage products."
"I am excited to join Emil and the Ultragenyx team at a critical time in the company's growth," commented Mr. Pinion. "The company's long-term vision and overall commitment to developing treatment for patients with rare diseases is aligned with my personal and professional values."
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.