SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 9, 2018-- Exelixis, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXEL) today announced that renowned biomedical research executive Maria C. Freire, Ph.D. has been elected to the company’s Board of Directors. Dr. Freire’s appointment took effect on April 5, 2018.

Dr. Freire has three decades of leadership experience with prominent national and global health organizations. She currently serves as President and Executive Director and as a member of the board of directors of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization established by Congress to support the mission of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by raising private funds for biomedical research and fostering partnerships and alliances around the world. Dr. Freire was previously President and a member of the board of directors of The Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation and, before that, President and CEO of the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development.

“I’m pleased to welcome Dr. Maria Freire to the Exelixis board of directors,” said Stelios Papadopoulos, Ph.D., an Exelixis co-founder and chairman of the company’s board. “Her breadth of experience in biomedical research and development can benefit Exelixis greatly as the company recommits its resources to drug discovery and bolstering its pipeline following the successful ongoing commercialization of its lead medicine, CABOMETYX.”

Dr. Freire began her current position as President and Executive Director of the FNIH in November 2012. From March 2008 to November 2012, she served as President of The Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation. Prior to joining the Lasker Foundation, Dr. Freire served as President and CEO of the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development from 2001 to 2008 and from 1995 to 2001, she served as Director of the Office of Technology Transfer at the NIH. Dr. Freire currently serves on the board of directors of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., a publicly-held urban office real estate investment trust uniquely focused on collaborative life science and technology campuses. She has served on the boards of numerous national and international organizations, including the Science Board of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the World Health Organization Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the United Nations Secretary General’s High Level Panel on Access to Medicines. Dr. Freire is also a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the Council on Foreign Relations. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including a 2017 Gold Stevie Award for “Woman of the Year,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service, the Arthur S. Fleming Award and the Bayh-Dole Award. Dr. Freire holds a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of Virginia and a B.S. from the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru.

About Exelixis

Founded in 1994, Exelixis, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXEL) is a commercially successful, oncology-focused biotechnology company that strives to accelerate the discovery, development and commercialization of new medicines for difficult-to-treat cancers. Following early work in model genetic systems, we established a broad drug discovery and development platform that has served as the foundation for our continued efforts to bring new cancer therapies to patients in need. We discovered our lead compounds, cabozantinib and cobimetinib, and advanced them into clinical development before entering into partnerships with leading biopharmaceutical companies in our efforts to bring these medicines to patients globally. We are steadfast in our commitment to prudently reinvest in our business to maximize the potential of our pipeline. We intend to supplement our existing therapeutic assets with targeted business development activities and internal drug discovery – all to deliver the next generation of Exelixis medicines and help patients recover stronger and live longer. Exelixis recently earned a spot on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 list, a yearly award program honoring the 500 fastest-growing companies over the past four years. For more information about Exelixis, please visit www.exelixis.com, follow @ExelixisInc on Twitter or like Exelixis, Inc. on Facebook.

Exelixis and the Exelixis logo are registered U.S. trademarks.

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Source: Exelixis, Inc.

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