CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Blueprint
Medicines Corporation (NASDAQ: BPMC), a leader in discovering and
developing highly selective investigational kinase medicines for
patients with genomically defined diseases, today announced the
appointment to its board of directors of Lonnel Coats, a seasoned pharmaceutical
executive with nearly 30 years of industry-related experience.
"We are pleased to welcome Lonnel to Blueprint Medicines' board.
He has an outstanding record of achievements leading prominent
biopharmaceutical companies and will be an invaluable asset," said
Jeffrey Albers, Chief Executive
Officer of Blueprint Medicines. "Lonnel's strong strategic
experience developing and commercializing numerous oncology
products will provide significant insight as we continue to advance
Blueprint Medicines' pipeline and seek to build a fully integrated
biopharmaceutical company."
Currently, Mr. Coats serves as president and chief executive
officer and a member of the board of directors of Lexicon
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: LXRX), a biopharmaceutical company
focused on the development of breakthrough therapies for the
treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes and carcinoid syndrome.
Prior to joining Lexicon in July
2014, Mr. Coats served in a series of leadership positions
at Eisai Inc. and Eisai Corporation of North America, U.S. subsidiaries of
Tokyo-based Eisai Co., Ltd., from
1996 through June 2014, including as
chief executive officer of Eisai Inc. from 2010 to June 2014. In this role, Mr. Coats helped
establish Eisai as a leading innovator of medicines for oncology
and specialty therapeutic areas, and he oversaw the expansion of
Eisai's business across the Americas and improved profitability for
all of its U.S.-based operating units. In addition, Mr. Coats
served as president and chief operating officer of Eisai Inc. from
2004 to 2010 and led the diversification of its business through
over $5 billion in strategic
acquisitions and licensing and partnership transactions. Mr. Coats
also previously held a variety of sales and management positions at
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a division of Johnson & Johnson,
from 1988 to 1996. Mr. Coats holds a B.P.A. from Oakland University.
"I am delighted to join the Blueprint Medicines board at this
exciting time in the company's development," said Lonnel Coats. "I look forward to working with
its board and talented management team to continue advancing
Blueprint Medicines' pipeline of novel targeted therapies."
About Blueprint Medicines
Blueprint Medicines is developing a new generation of highly
selective and potent kinase medicines to improve the lives of
patients with genomically defined diseases. The Company's approach
is rooted in a deep understanding of the genetic blueprint of
cancer and other diseases driven by the abnormal activation of
kinases. Blueprint Medicines is advancing three programs in
clinical development for subsets of patients with gastrointestinal
stromal tumors, hepatocellular carcinoma and systemic mastocytosis,
as well as multiple programs in research and preclinical
development. For more information, please visit
www.blueprintmedicines.com.
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SOURCE Blueprint Medicines