BOSTON, July 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:RYTM), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutics for the treatment of rare genetic disorders of obesity, today announced the appointment of Stuart Arbuckle to its Board of Directors.

“We are excited to welcome Stuart to our Board of Directors as we move through the late-stage clinical development of setmelanotide and begin to develop a commercial infrastructure,” said Rhythm Board of Directors Chairman David Meeker, M.D. “Stuart has extensive experience leading global sales and marketing efforts for several therapies in rare indications, including metabolic conditions, and we look forward to his insights and contributions as we work to bring the benefits of setmelanotide to people living with rare genetic disorders of obesity, their families and the broader community.”

Mr. Arbuckle currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Vertex Pharmaceuticals where he is responsible for the company’s commercial marketing and supply chain, reimbursement and access, sales, marketing, patient support and market research efforts within the cystic fibrosis franchise and across its portfolio of medicines in development for other serious diseases. Prior to joining Vertex, Mr. Arbuckle held several commercial leadership positions at Amgen including leading sales and marketing efforts for Amgen’s portfolio of cancer medicines, such as Aranesp®, Neulasta® injection and NEUPOGEN®, and leading the successful launches of XGEVA® injection and Nplate® injection. Most recently, he served as Vice President and Regional General Manager at Amgen, where he led efforts to expand the company’s presence in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Prior to these roles, Mr. Arbuckle spent 15 years at GlaxoSmithKline, where he held sales and marketing roles for medicines aimed at treating metabolic, respiratory, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and other diseases. Mr. Arbuckle currently serves as a board member of ImmunoGen and as a national board member of Cancer Support Community, an international non-profit organization dedicated to providing support and education to people affected by cancer. He also serves on the Executive Committee and Health Section Governing Board for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), where he is co-chair of the BIO Standing Committee on Access & Value. Mr. Arbuckle holds a B.S. in Pharmacology and Physiology from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom.

“I look forward to working with Rhythm which is uniquely positioned to transform the care of rare genetic disorders of obesity. With setmelanotide, Rhythm is advancing a therapy that has the potential to restore appetite control and reduce weight by overcoming impairments within the MC4R pathway,” said Mr. Arbuckle. “Simultaneously, the company is building a community of genetic specialists, health care providers, caregivers and patients to better understand these disorders and improve patient care and management.”

About Rhythm

Rhythm is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for the treatment of rare genetic disorders of obesity. Rhythm is currently evaluating the efficacy and safety of setmelanotide, the company’s first-in-class MC4R agonist, in Phase 3 studies in patients with Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) deficiency obesity, Leptin receptor (LEPR) deficiency obesity, Bardet-Biedl Syndrome, and Alström syndrome. Rhythm is dedicated to improving the understanding of severe obesity that results from specific genetic disorders. For healthcare professionals, visit www.UNcommonObesity.com for more information. For patients and caregivers, visit www.LEADforRareObesity.com for more information. The company is based in Boston, MA.