Alnylam Announces Planned Departure of Chief Business Officer, Laurence Reid, Ph.D.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--()--Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:ALNY), a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that Laurence Reid, Ph.D., the company’s Chief Business Officer, plans to resign from the company, effective December 31, 2014. Dr. Reid will be joining Third Rock Ventures (TRV) as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence, and is expected to become a Chief Executive Officer for a TRV portfolio company in the future. Alnylam will initiate an external search to identify a new Chief Business Officer.

“Our successful track record in business execution has been a team effort, but I want to sincerely thank Laurence for his leadership and outstanding contributions to the company over the last many years. Amongst many other accomplishments, Laurence’s business development leadership at Alnylam resulted in our alliances with Genzyme, The Medicines Company, and Monsanto, in addition to the acquisition of Sirna Therapeutics in our agreement with Merck,” said John Maraganore, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Alnylam. “We wish Laurence nothing but the best, and we are very proud to count him as one of our Alnylam alumni, expanding his position of leadership in the biopharmaceutical industry.”

“Alnylam is a remarkable company that has pioneered the advancement of RNAi therapeutics as a whole new class of medicines. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to contribute to this effort,” said Laurence. “During my tenure, I have worked with outstanding and passionate colleagues and external partners who will, I believe, deliver these innovative medicines to patients and the market in the coming years. I look forward to watching Alnylam’s continued success, and I will remain a strong supporter of the company, even as I move on to new opportunities.”

About Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

Alnylam is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics based on RNA interference, or RNAi. The company is leading the translation of RNAi as a new class of innovative medicines. In late 2014, Alnylam launched its pipeline growth strategy for RNAi therapeutics in three strategic therapeutic areas (STArs): Genetic Medicines, Cardio-metabolic Disease, and Hepatic Infectious Disease. Alnylam’s Genetic Medicine STAr investigational pipeline includes: patisiran (ALN-TTR02) targeting transthyretin (TTR) for the treatment of TTR-mediated amyloidosis (ATTR) in patients with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP); revusiran (ALN-TTRsc) targeting TTR for the treatment of ATTR in patients with TTR cardiac amyloidosis, including familial amyloidotic cardiomyopathy (FAC); ALN-AT3 targeting antithrombin (AT) for the treatment of hemophilia and rare bleeding disorders (RBD); ALN-CC5 targeting complement component C5 for the treatment of complement-mediated diseases; ALN-AS1 targeting aminolevulinic acid synthase-1 (ALAS-1) for the treatment of hepatic porphyrias including acute intermittent porphyria (AIP); ALN-AAT targeting alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) for the treatment of AAT deficiency-associated liver disease; ALN-TMP targeting TMPRSS6 for the treatment of beta-thalassemia and iron-overload disorders; ALN-GO1 targeting glycolate oxidase (GO) for the treatment of primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1); and other programs yet to be disclosed. Alnylam’s Cardio-metabolic Disease STAr investigational pipeline includes: ALN-PCSsc targeting PCSK9 for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia; ALN-ANG targeting angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3) for the treatment of mixed hyperlipidemia and hypertriglyceridemia; ALN-AC3 targeting apolipoprotein C-3 (apoC3) for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia; ALN-AGT targeting angiotensinogen (AGT) for the treatment of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), including preeclampsia; and other programs yet to be disclosed. Alnylam’s Hepatic Infectious Disease STAr investigational pipeline includes: ALN-HBV targeting the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome for the treatment of HBV infection; ALN-HDV targeting the hepatitis delta virus (HDV) genome for the treatment of HDV infection; ALN-PDL targeting programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) for the treatment of chronic liver infections; and other programs yet to be disclosed. The company’s demonstrated commitment to RNAi therapeutics has enabled it to form major alliances with leading companies including Merck, Medtronic, Novartis, Biogen Idec, Roche, Takeda, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Cubist, GlaxoSmithKline, Ascletis, Monsanto, and The Medicines Company. In early 2014, Alnylam and Genzyme, a Sanofi company, formed a multi-product geographic alliance on Alnylam's genetic medicine programs in the rare disease field. Specifically, Alnylam will lead development and commercialization of programs in North America and Europe, while Genzyme will develop and commercialize products in the rest of world. In addition, Alnylam and Genzyme will co-develop and co-commercialize revusiran in North America and Europe. In March 2014, Alnylam acquired Sirna Therapeutics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck. In addition, Alnylam holds an equity position in Regulus Therapeutics Inc., a company focused on discovery, development, and commercialization of microRNA therapeutics. Alnylam scientists and collaborators have published their research on RNAi therapeutics in over 200 peer-reviewed papers, including many in the world’s top scientific journals such as Nature, Nature Medicine, Nature Biotechnology, Cell, New England Journal of Medicine, and The Lancet. Founded in 2002, Alnylam maintains headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.alnylam.com.

Alnylam Forward-Looking Statements

Various statements in this release concerning Alnylam’s future expectations, plans and prospects, including without limitation, Alnylam’s views with respect to the potential for RNAi therapeutics, its expectations regarding its STAr pipeline growth strategy, and its plans regarding commercialization of RNAi therapeutics, constitute forward-looking statements for the purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including, without limitation, Alnylam's ability to discover and develop novel drug candidates and delivery approaches, successfully demonstrate the efficacy and safety of its drug candidates, the pre-clinical and clinical results for its product candidates, which may not support further development of product candidates, actions of regulatory agencies, which may affect the initiation, timing and progress of clinical trials, obtaining, maintaining and protecting intellectual property, Alnylam’s ability to enforce its patents against infringers and defend its patent portfolio against challenges from third parties, obtaining regulatory approval for products, competition from others using technology similar to Alnylam’s and others developing products for similar uses, Alnylam's ability to manage operating expenses, Alnylam’s ability to obtain additional funding to support its business activities and establish and maintain strategic business alliances and new business initiatives, Alnylam’s dependence on third parties for development, manufacture, marketing, sales and distribution of products, the outcome of litigation, and unexpected expenditures, as well as those risks more fully discussed in the “Risk Factors” filed with Alnylam's most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and in other filings that Alnylam makes with the SEC. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent Alnylam's views only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Alnylam explicitly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Contacts

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Cynthia Clayton, 617-551-8207
Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
or
Media:
Spectrum
Liz Bryan, 202-955-6222 x2526

Contacts

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Cynthia Clayton, 617-551-8207
Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
or
Media:
Spectrum
Liz Bryan, 202-955-6222 x2526