CHESHIRE, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALXN) today announced that Max
Link, Ph.D., Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alexion, passed away
unexpectedly on October 5 while traveling on business. Dr. Link, a
globally respected leader of companies in the pharmaceutical,
biotechnology and medical device industries over the course of nearly
four decades, served as a Director of Alexion since the Company was
established in April 1992 and assumed the role of Chairman in December
2002. He was 74 years old.
"Alexion as a company, and I personally, are very fortunate to have had
Max as a key member of Alexion's board from its inception," said Leonard
Bell, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Alexion. "In our earlier years,
he provided invaluable guidance during the inevitable challenges we
faced as a biotech startup, including the building of our research and
development capabilities. As Chairman, he was a key guide in our
transition, starting in 2007, from a development-stage firm to our
current multinational commercial platform where we serve patients with
life-threatening disorders across nearly 50 countries. Through his work
at Alexion and other companies, Max helped to bring a wide array of
innovative therapies to patients. We at Alexion, and our industry as a
whole, will miss Max and the wisdom and broad experience that he
provided. We join with his family and close friends in mourning our
loss."
During a long and distinguished career, Dr. Link held a number of top
leadership positions with Sandoz Pharmaceuticals (now Novartis),
including serving as Chairman of the Board of Sandoz Pharma, Ltd., CEO
of Sandoz Pharma, and a member of the Executive Board of Sandoz, Ltd.,
Basel. In addition, he served as CEO of Corange, Ltd., the parent
company of Boehringer Mannheim Therapeutics, Boehringer Mannheim
Diagnostics and DePuy Orthopedics. More recently, Dr. Link had served as
Chairman and CEO of Centerpulse AG, a medical implant company later
acquired by Zimmer Holdings, Inc. He was actively involved as a director
in numerous development-stage companies within the biopharmaceutical and
medical device fields. Dr. Link earned a Ph.D. in economics from
University of St. Gallen (Switzerland).
Alexion's Board of Directors, after convening this week to discuss the
Board's succession plan, will announce a new Chairman in the coming days.
About Alexion
Alexion is a biopharmaceutical company focused on serving patients with
severe and rare disorders through the innovation, development and
commercialization of life-transforming therapeutic products. Alexion is
the global leader in complement inhibition and has developed and markets
Soliris® (eculizumab) as a treatment for patients with PNH and aHUS, two
debilitating, ultra-rare and life-threatening disorders caused by
chronic uncontrolled complement activation. Soliris is currently
approved in nearly 50 countries for the treatment of PNH, and in nearly
40 countries for the treatment of aHUS. Alexion is evaluating other
potential indications for Soliris in additional severe and ultra-rare
disorders beyond PNH and aHUS, and is developing other highly innovative
biotechnology product candidates across multiple therapeutic areas. This
press release and further information about Alexion can be found at www.alexionpharma.com.
[ALXN-G]
Alexion:
Media
Irving
Adler, 203-271-8210
Executive Director, Corporate Communications
or
Kim
Diamond, 203-439-9600
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
or
Investors
Elena
Ridloff, 203-699-7722
Executive Director, Investor Relations
Source: Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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