Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: RARE) has appointed Eric Crombez, M.D., as its new chief medical officer and executive vice president, effective May 1, 2023. Dr. Crombez is currently Ultragenyx’s chief medical officer for gene therapy and inborn errors of metabolism and will be succeeding Camille Bedrosian, M.D., who will remain with the company in a full-time strategic advisory role.
Eric has been a major contributor to the development and execution of clinical development programs for rare genetic disorders and has been an integral part of Ultragenyx’s gene therapy pipeline. Under the guidance of Camille, Eric has been preparing for this transition, providing invaluable insight in the process. Emil D. Kakkis, M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer and president of Ultragenyx, is confident that Eric’s experience and expertise in clinical development will be a valuable asset to their team.
Dr. Emil Kakkis expressed his appreciation for Camille, praising her for her immense contributions to the company’s growth and evolution. “Camille has been an invaluable asset to advancing our treatments and I’m immensely grateful for all she has done for the rare disease community,” he said. With her expertise and passion, Camille will remain an integral part of the team in her new advisory role.
I am thrilled to take on this role and thank Camille for her invaluable guidance and partnership as we strive to bring new treatments to people with rare diseases. I am grateful for the chance to be part of this effort and look forward to the challenges that lie ahead.
Dr. Crombez joined Ultragenyx following the acquisition of Dimension Therapeutics in November 2017, and was also appointed to the prestigious FDA Cellular, Tissue, and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee as an industry representative. At Dimension Therapeutics, he served as chief medical officer and spearheaded clinical development efforts for gene therapy programs in hemophilia B, hemophilia A, ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency and glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSDIa). Prior to this, Dr. Crombez worked at Shire’s Human Genetics Therapy business unit.
Dr. Crombez is a board-certified clinical geneticist with an impressive educational background. He garnered his B.S. degree in biology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and his M.D. degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. But his impressive educational journey doesn’t stop there – Dr. Crombez completed residencies in pediatrics and medical genetics and a fellowship in clinical biochemical genetics at the UCLA School of Medicine, where he was also an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics. Now, Dr. Crombez has entered the world of industry, armed with a wealth of knowledge and experience.
About Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
Ultragenyx is a biopharmaceutical company on a mission to bring hope to patients with serious rare and ultrarare genetic diseases. With a portfolio of approved treatments and treatment candidates, the company is committed to developing innovative therapies and medicines to help those who have few or no approved treatments for their underlying conditions. Ultragenyx is dedicated to bringing life-saving solutions to those whose needs have long been overlooked.
At the helm of Ultragenyx is a management team with a long history of developing and commercializing treatments for rare diseases. Their mission is to create safe and effective treatments for those living with rare diseases in an efficient and timely manner. With their aim to make a difference in the lives of those affected by these diseases, they are dedicated to bringing relief to those in need with the utmost urgency.