Ionis announces new chief global product strategy officer to lead next phase of commercial growth

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Feb 29, 2024, 09:05 ET

Kyle Jenne rejoins company to lead commercial strategy

Onaiza Cadoret-Manier departing for new career opportunity

With broad commercial capabilities in place, Ionis ready to execute on its first independent launches

CARLSBAD, Calif., Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IONS) announced today that Kyle Jenne has rejoined Ionis as executive vice president, chief global product strategy officer, to lead all aspects of commercialization at the Company. Mr. Jenne has more than 25 years of biopharmaceutical commercial and executive leadership experience and has launched innovative medicines across a broad range of therapeutic areas including cardiovascular, neurology and allergy.

Onaiza Cadoret-Manier, chief global product strategy and operations officer, is leaving the company to pursue another opportunity. To support the transition, Ms. Cadoret-Manier will remain in a full-time capacity through March 15, after which she will serve as an advisor for a period of time.

"I thank Onaiza for her tremendous vision and contributions in establishing Ionis' foundational commercial organization and capabilities over the last four years as Ionis evolved into a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company. She has built a stellar team of professionals with deep experience across all aspects of commercialization," said Brett P. Monia, Ionis' chief executive officer. "With these core capabilities in place and our first co-commercialization underway for WAINUA™ (eplontersen), we're excited to welcome Kyle back to spearhead our commercial growth as we work to advance a steady cadence of medicines starting with our first potential independent U.S. launches for olezarsen in familial chylomicronemia syndrome and donidalorsen in hereditary angioedema. Kyle's broad commercial and launch experience, coupled with his strong existing relationships at Ionis, will enable him to rapidly and seamlessly add value to our commercial organization during this important time for Ionis and the patients who are counting on us."

Mr. Jenne has broad experience in executive leadership roles and expertise in launching and commercializing innovative medicines in the U.S. and globally. He brings deep relevant experience in a wide range of therapeutic areas. Mr. Jenne previously spent five years in commercial leadership roles at Ionis and Akcea, which was fully acquired by Ionis in 2020. His most recent role at Ionis was as EVP & chief commercial officer. During his time at Ionis and Akcea, Mr. Jenne built commercial capabilities in many of Ionis' key disease areas including transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis and familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS). He also played a key role in establishing the co-commercialization collaboration with AstraZeneca for WAINUA. Earlier in his career, Mr. Jenne held commercial roles for companies including Schering Plough, King Pharmaceuticals, Acorda Therapeutics and Praecis Pharmaceuticals.

"As a fully integrated biopharma company, Ionis is demonstrating its leadership with an innovative pipeline of wholly owned mid- and late-stage investigational medicines, each of which has the potential to meet important unmet needs for people with serious diseases. I am committed to ensuring we fully realize the potential of these innovative medicines to reach patients and their healthcare providers, beginning with the anticipated upcoming launches for olezarsen and donidalorsen," said Mr. Jenne. "On a personal level, I'm thrilled to be back at Ionis working with this incredibly talented and dedicated team."

About Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

For three decades, Ionis has invented medicines that bring better futures to people with serious diseases. Ionis currently has five marketed medicines and a leading pipeline in neurology, cardiology, and other areas of high patient need. As the pioneer in RNA-targeted medicines, Ionis continues to drive innovation in RNA therapies in addition to advancing new approaches in gene editing. A deep understanding of disease biology and industry-leading technology propels our work, coupled with a passion and urgency to deliver life-changing advances for patients. To learn more about Ionis, visit Ionispharma.com and follow us on X (Twitter) and LinkedIn.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding Ionis' business, and the therapeutic and commercial potential of Ionis' commercial medicines, additional medicines in development and technologies. Any statement describing Ionis' goals, expectations, financial or other projections, intentions, or beliefs is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those related to our commercial products and the medicines in our pipeline, and particularly those inherent in the process of discovering, developing and commercializing medicines that are safe and effective for use as human therapeutics, and in the endeavor of building a business around such medicines. Ionis' forward-looking statements also involve assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove correct, could cause its results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although Ionis' forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of its management, these statements are based only on facts and factors currently known by Ionis. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These and other risks concerning Ionis' programs are described in additional detail in Ionis' annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2023, and most recent Form 10-Q, which are on file with the SEC. Copies of these and other documents are available at www.ionispharma.com.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals® is a registered trademark of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. WAINUA™ is a trademark of AstraZeneca plc.

SOURCE Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.