BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: IRWD) today announced the appointment of Alexander Denner, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors, effective November 9, 2020. Dr. Denner is the founding partner and chief investment officer of Sarissa Capital Management LP. With the appointment of Dr. Denner, Ironwood’s Board of Directors will now be comprised of 10 directors, eight of whom are independent.

“We are pleased to welcome Alex to the Ironwood Board,” said Julie McHugh, chair of the Board. “Alex is a highly respected and seasoned healthcare investor and director, with significant experience overseeing the operations of healthcare companies. We believe his wealth of knowledge will be invaluable as we continue on our mission to advance GI medicines, redefine the standard of care for GI patients, and deliver shareholder value.”

Dr. Denner stated, “I look forward to working with my fellow board members to create value at Ironwood.”

Dr. Denner has been appointed to the Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board, effective as of November 9, 2020.

About Alexander Denner

Dr. Denner is a founding partner and chief investment officer of Sarissa Capital Management LP, where he has been since 2011. Sarissa Capital focuses on improving the strategies of companies to enhance shareholder value. From 2006 to 2011, Dr. Denner served as a senior managing director at Icahn Capital L.P. Prior to that, he served as a portfolio manager at Viking Global Investors and Morgan Stanley Investment Management. Dr. Denner serves on the board of directors of Biogen Inc. In the last five years, Dr. Denner has served as chair of the board of directors of Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and The Medicines Company, as well as a member of the board of directors of Bioverativ Inc. Dr. Denner received an S.B. in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an M.S. and M. Phil in mechanical engineering from Yale University, and an interdisciplinary Ph.D, also from Yale University.

About Ironwood Pharmaceuticals

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: IRWD) is a GI-focused healthcare company dedicated to creating medicines that make a difference for patients living with GI diseases. We discovered, developed and are commercializing linaclotide, the U.S. branded prescription market leader for adults with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) or chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC).