CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ra Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:RARX), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development of next-generation therapeutics for the treatment of complement-mediated diseases, today announced the appointment of John C. King as Chief Commercial Officer, effective April 16, 2018. Mr. King brings to Ra Pharma more than 20 years of senior, global, commercial leadership experience within the biotechnology rare disease space, most recently with Alexion Pharmaceuticals.

“Having led the successful launch and commercialization of Soliris® for generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) in the U.S. and growth of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) in markets around the world, John is ideally suited to help us build the commercial foundation for RA101495 SC in complement-mediated diseases,” said Doug Treco, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ra Pharma. “With enrollment in our Phase II trial of RA101495 SC in gMG progressing rapidly, and continued advancement of our PNH program, we look forward to John’s contributions to the leadership team.”

“RA101495 SC has the potential to provide patients with a more convenient, flexible, and accessible first-line treatment for PNH, gMG, and other lifelong, complement-mediated diseases,” said Mr. King. “With compelling clinical data to date, strong support from the investigator community, and a focused clinical strategy, now is a uniquely exciting time to join the company. I look forward to working with the talented and dedicated team at Ra Pharma to build a plan for commercializing this promising treatment candidate.”

Mr. King comes to Ra Pharma from Alexion Pharmaceuticals, where he served most recently as Vice President, U.S. Neurology Business Unit. In this role, he was responsible for building and leading the team launching Soliris® (eculizumab) for gMG in the U.S. At Alexion, he also served as Vice President, Head of Global LAL-D Franchise and Vice President, Head of Global PNH Franchise. Prior to joining Alexion in 2009, Mr. King served in commercial roles of increasing responsibility at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. He began his career at Ernst & Young LLP. Mr. King obtained his BS in business logistics and labor relations and his MBA in finance and management from Pennsylvania State University.

About Ra Pharmaceuticals

Ra Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development of next-generation therapeutics for complement-mediated diseases. The Company discovers and develops peptides and small molecules to target key components of the complement cascade. For more information, please visit: www.rapharma.com.