CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRPT), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of precision genetic medicine to treat rare neuromuscular diseases, today announced the appointment of Gilmore O’Neill, M.B., M.M.Sc. as its chief medical officer. Dr. O’Neill will lead all clinical development, medical affairs, pharmacovigilance, and regulatory affairs.
Dr. O’Neill joins Sarepta from Biogen, where he held leadership roles of increasing responsibility over a 15-year period in research and development, most recently as senior vice president responsible for all late-stage clinical development. During his tenure, Dr. O’Neill oversaw development programs for Alzheimer’s disease, movement disorders, acute neurology, multiple sclerosis, pain, neuromuscular disease, gene and cell therapy, and rare diseases. He played a leadership role in seeking, receiving and maintaining global marketing approvals for Tecfidera®, Zinbryta®, Plegridy® and Spinraza®.
“I feel extremely fortunate to welcome Dr. O’Neill to Sarepta and to our executive team as we advance our 21 pipeline programs and build ourselves into one of the most meaningful precision genetic medicine companies in the world,” said Doug Ingram, Sarepta’s president and chief executive officer. “Gilmore is uniquely positioned to successfully lead our development strategy. He has deep expertise in neurobiology, genetic medicine and clinical development, having driven some of biotech’s most successful clinical programs. And his proven leadership ability and passion for our mission of changing lives through genetic medicine will be essential as we advance toward our goals with a sense of urgency, creativity and purpose.”
“I was inspired to join the Sarepta leadership team by the quality of Sarepta’s pipeline and the sense of urgency within the Company to advance these programs and improve the lives of patients,” said Dr. O’Neill. “I’m looking forward to making a fast start, and one of my most pressing priorities will be to meet with and learn from the DMD patient community.”
Dr. O’Neill received a Bachelor of Medicine degree from University College Dublin and a Master of Medical Sciences degree from Harvard University. He is the recipient of numerous awards in science and medicine, including the Lefler Fellowship in the Department of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. O’Neill is the author of numerous publications on multiple sclerosis, has served as a neurology peer reviewer for medical literature, and lectures in the United States and globally on advances in neurology and neurological research.
Dr. O’Neill is licensed to practice medicine in the state of Massachusetts. He is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and a board-certified neurologist (ABPN). He is formerly Chief Resident in Neurology at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and served, until recently, as a Clinical Instructor in Neurology at Harvard Medical School. He has maintained his clinical appointment at the MGH with a sub-specialty interest in neuromuscular diseases and inherited leukodystrophies.
About Sarepta Therapeutics
Sarepta Therapeutics is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of precision genetic medicine to treat rare neuromuscular diseases. The Company is primarily focused on rapidly advancing the development of its potentially disease-modifying Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) drug candidates. For more information, please visit www.sarepta.com.
