CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRPT), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of precision genetic medicines to treat rare neuromuscular diseases, today announced the appointment of Guriqbal “Guriq” S. Basi, Ph.D. as chief scientific officer (CSO). Dr. Basi brings to Sarepta 30 years of experience serving in increasing roles of responsibility at Elan and other biotechnology companies. Dr. Basi will report to Douglas Ingram, Sarepta’s chief executive officer, and will be responsible for leading the direction of the Company’s discovery pipeline and translational research efforts.
Dr. Basi joins Sarepta after serving in several senior leadership roles at Elan, including chief science and technology officer and head of pre-clinical development. He was also the former CSO for Circuit Therapeutics, Inc. and Symic Biomedical.
“Dr. Basi brings to Sarepta a long and impressive career marked by a commitment to scientific excellence,” said Mr. Ingram. “I am excited to bring Dr. Basi to the team as we focus on accelerating our pipeline. We have made strides toward our goal of bringing therapies and a better life to as many children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy as possible, but patients are waiting and we must accelerate our efforts. Dr. Basi’s expertise will prove invaluable as we move our next-generation technology into the clinic and continue to support and advance our exciting collaborative programs.”
“The scientific underpinnings of Sarepta’s technology for the development of precision genetic medicines are unparalleled in the industry. I am particularly excited about the Company’s PMO and PPMO technology platforms, and our gene therapy investments, which have the potential to generate a strong pipeline of unique treatments for DMD and other neuromuscular diseases,” said Dr. Basi. “With a multi-front treatment approach, Sarepta is poised to make a profound difference in the lives of patients with rare neuromuscular diseases and their families. I am excited to join Sarepta, and its strong team of scientists, as we focus on realizing the potential of our existing pipeline while exploring additional opportunities to bolster our pipeline to improve the lives of those suffering from rare diseases.”
Dr. Basi earned his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago. His thesis published in Molecular and Cellular Biology was one of the earliest examples documenting alternative splicing in a cellular system. Over the course of his career, Dr. Basi has co-authored more than 25 peer-reviewed journal articles and is the owner of nearly a dozen U.S. patents. He served on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Parkinson’s Progression Marker Initiative, sponsored and funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation, as well as an invited member of the Scientific Strategy and Planning Committee of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Discovery Foundation. Dr. Basi also earned a B.S. in Biochemistry from the Ohio State University.
About Sarepta Therapeutics
Sarepta Therapeutics is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of precision genetic medicines 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.
