CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 28, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRPT), a U.S. commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of unique RNA-targeted therapeutics for the treatment of rare neuromuscular diseases, today announced the appointment of Douglas S. Ingram as president and chief executive officer. He will also serve on the Company’s board of directors. Mr. Ingram brings to Sarepta Therapeutics more than two decades of executive leadership experience in the life sciences.

As previously announced, Edward M. Kaye, M.D., will step down from his positions at the Company, but is expected to serve the Company in an advisory capacity to ensure a smooth transition.

“This is a transformational period in Sarepta Therapeutics’ evolution, and Doug is an exceptional executive with the vision, experience, and leadership skills required to realize the Company’s full potential during its next phase. We look forward to officially introducing Doug during our second quarter earnings conference call,” said M. Kathleen Behrens, Ph.D., chair of Sarepta’s board of directors. “Our team remains steadfast in its goal to ensure patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and their families have access to the best treatments. We look forward to working with Doug to continue helping those with serious unmet medical needs and thank Ed for his career-long pursuit to improve the lives of these patients, as well as his tremendous leadership to help bring EXONDYS 51® to patients and physicians.”

"I am confident Sarepta has selected in Doug Ingram the right leader to build on our success to date and to drive value for the Company as he has done for Allergan and Chase Pharmaceuticals,” stated Dr. Kaye. “I am proud of our accomplishments over the past several years and more importantly I have enjoyed becoming a member of the Duchenne community. I look forward to supporting the Company and Doug through this transition as we continue to advance our strong pipeline to full fruition."

“I am excited to join Sarepta Therapeutics at such an important time in its history. Through the tireless work of Ed and his team, Sarepta has taken a leadership position in the treatment of Duchene muscular dystrophy, brought hope to children and their families suffering from this debilitating condition and proven an unmatched dedication to patient care,” said Mr. Ingram. “Sarepta has a mission that matters, a deep pipeline to support that mission, and employees and a board that are single mindedly focused on success through improving the lives of those with devastating rare diseases. We will remain committed to the continued success of EXONDYS 51, and rapidly advancing our clinical pipeline and next-generation platform technology.”

Until its acquisition by Actavis, plc in 2015, Mr. Ingram was the president of Allergan, Inc. Prior to his election as president, Mr. Ingram was located in London as Allergan’s president Europe/Middle East/Africa and before that ran various functions at Allergan, including Legal Affairs, Regulatory Affairs and Pharmacovigilance, Information Technology, Public Relations and External Communication, Human Resources, and Audit and Compliance, among others. Most recently, Mr. Ingram served as president and chief executive officer of Chase Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on new treatments for neurodegenerative disorders, which was acquired by Allergan, plc (formerly Actavis, plc) in late 2016. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science degree and Summa Cum Laude from the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law.

Heidrick & Struggles advised the Company on the executive search.

About Sarepta Therapeutics

Sarepta Therapeutics is a U.S. commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of unique RNA-targeted therapeutics for the treatment of 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.