DUBLIN, Nov. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Alkermes
plc (Nasdaq: ALKS) today announced the appointment of a new
independent director, Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., to the
company's Board of Directors. Dr. Laurencin is a distinguished
university professor, award-winning engineer, orthopaedic surgeon,
scientist, administrator, and pioneer in the field of regenerative
engineering. Dr. Laurencin is actively involved in mentoring and
social justice initiatives and has been widely recognized for his
work promoting diversity and excellence in science and addressing
health disparities. He currently serves as a professor of
multiple disciplines at the University of
Connecticut (UConn). He is the
University Professor and Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor
of Orthopaedic Surgery, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and
Professor of Biomedical Engineering. He is the Chief Executive
Officer of The Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in
Regenerative Engineering at UConn.
"Dr. Laurencin brings to the Alkermes Board
significant experience across a wide range of medical and
scientific disciplines, a focus on public health that is consistent
with the company's core values and business strategy, strong
administrative skills, and a keen understanding of how scientific
innovation has the potential to drive shareholder value creation,"
said Richard Pops, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman
of Alkermes. "In addition to his many scientific and
administrative accomplishments, Dr. Laurencin is dedicated to
important social justice research and initiatives, including
raising awareness of, and addressing, racial and ethnic health
disparities. We are delighted to welcome Dr. Laurencin as our sixth
new independent director since 2019."
"Throughout my career I have been motivated to advance medicine,
engineering, science and social justice initiatives, along with
direct administrative action, that have the potential to make a
meaningful difference in people's lives. I am pleased to join
Alkermes' Board of Directors and look forward to contributing to
the company's mission of advancing great science and deep
compassion to develop innovative medicines that address real unmet
patient needs," said Dr. Laurencin.
Alex Denner, Ph.D., Founder and
Chief Investment Officer of Sarissa Capital, stated, "The
nomination of Dr. Laurencin is a positive outcome for shareholders.
I expect that he will provide a fresh perspective to the Alkermes
board, and I am confident he will work with other board members to
focus on optimal capital allocation and operational excellence for
the benefit of all shareholders."
About Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.
Cato T.
Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D. is the University Professor and Albert and
Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic
Surgery at UConn, where he also serves
as Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Professor of
Materials Science and Engineering and Professor of Biomedical
Engineering. He serves as Chief Executive Officer of The
Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative
Engineering. A practicing surgeon, Dr. Laurencin is a Fellow of the
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a Fellow of the American
Orthopaedic Association, a Fellow of the American College of
Surgeons and a member of the American Surgical Association. Dr.
Laurencin previously served as Vice President for Health Affairs
and Dean of the School of Medicine at UConn, directing a $1
billion dollar enterprise. Dr. Laurencin currently serves on
the Board of Directors of MiMedx Group, Inc., a public company
focused on advanced wound care and therapeutic biologics.
Dr. Laurencin is a pioneer in the field of regenerative
engineering, and an expert in biomaterials science, stem cell
technology and nanotechnology. Dr. Laurencin is the Editor-in-Chief
of Regenerative Engineering and Translational Medicine,
published by Springer Nature, and is the Founder of the
Regenerative Engineering Society. He has been widely published in
scholarly journals and is named in over 500 papers and patents.
Dr. Laurencin is the first surgeon elected to all four of the
National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering,
the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of
Inventors. He also has singular distinctions in these fields. In
science, he received the Philip Hauge Abelson Prize from the
American Association for the Advancement of Science "for signal
contributions to the advancement of science in the United States." In engineering, he
received the Simon Ramo Founders Award from the National Academy of
Engineering, its oldest/highest award. In medicine, he received the
Walsh McDermott Medal from the National Academy of Medicine, one of
its oldest/highest awards. In technology, he received the National
Medal of Technology and Innovation, America's highest honor for
technological achievement awarded by the President of the United States. He has received many
industry and academic society accolades for his work in
regenerative engineering. The American Institute of Chemical
Engineers Foundation endowed the Cato T. Laurencin Regenerative
Engineering Society Founder's Award, recognizing his preeminence in
the field. He is the 2021 recipient of the Spingarn Medal, the
highest honor of the NAACP. The medal is presented for the "highest
or noblest achievement by a living African American during the
preceding year or years in any honorable field." The award
recognizes his seminal and singular accomplishments in tissue
regeneration, biomaterials science, nanotechnology, and
regenerative engineering.
Dr. Laurencin is actively involved in mentoring and other
activities that promote diversity and excellence in science, and is
committed to addressing health disparities. He is a core faculty
member of the Africana Studies Institute at UConn, and is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of
Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, published by Springer
Nature. He co-founded the W. Montague
Cobb/NMA Health Institute, dedicated to addressing health
disparities, and served as its Founding Chair until 2017. He is a
recipient of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science (AAAS) Mentor Award, the Beckman Award for Mentoring, the
Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Math and Engineering
Mentoring, and the Herbert W.
Nickens Award, presented by the Association of American
Medical Colleges in recognition for his work advancing social
justice and equity. In 2015, the Society for Biomaterials
established the Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D. Travel Fellowship in
his honor, awarded to underrepresented students in the field of
biomaterials. He is the recipient of the 2021 Hoover Medal given by
five of the principal engineering societies in America where he was
acknowledged as "a foremost champion of diversity." His citation
noted "His actions in direct mentoring, policy and creating
institutional change have helped form a more inclusive world."
Dr. Laurencin earned a B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering from
Princeton University, and his M.D.,
Magna Cum Laude, from the Harvard
Medical School. He earned his Ph.D. in Biochemical
Engineering/Biotechnology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
About Alkermes plc
Alkermes plc is a fully-integrated, global biopharmaceutical
company developing innovative medicines in the fields of
neuroscience and oncology. The company has a portfolio of
proprietary commercial products focused on addiction, schizophrenia
and bipolar I disorder, and a pipeline of product candidates in
development for neurodegenerative disorders and cancer.
Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland,
Alkermes plc has an R&D center in Waltham, Massachusetts; a research and
manufacturing facility in Athlone, Ireland; and a manufacturing facility in
Wilmington, Ohio. For more
information, please visit Alkermes' website at
www.alkermes.com.
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain
statements set forth in this press release constitute
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including,
but not limited to, statements concerning the
company's work to develop innovative medicines that address
real unmet patient needs and to drive shareholder value
creation. The company cautions that forward-looking statements are
inherently uncertain. Although the company believes that such
statements are based on reasonable assumptions within the
bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, the
forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and
they are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and
risk. Actual performance and results may differ materially from
those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements due to
various risks and uncertainties, including those risks and
uncertainties described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the
company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
Dec. 31, 2020 and in subsequent
filings made by the company with SEC, which are available on the
SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Existing and prospective investors
are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Except as
required by law, the company disclaims any intention or
responsibility for updating or revising any forward-looking
statements contained in this press release.
Alkermes Contacts:
For Investors: Sandy Coombs,
+1 781 609 6377
For Media: Katie Joyce, +1 781
249 8927
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