June 06, 2012
Gilead Sciences Appoints Two New Members to Health Policy Advisory Board
– Lord Paul Boateng and Dr. Hannah Kettler Will Bring Extensive
Experience in Global Health, Health Economics and Humanitarian Issues –
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun. 6, 2012--
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) announced today the appointments of
Lord Paul Boateng, LLB, member of the United Kingdom House of Lords, and
Hannah Kettler, PhD, senior health program officer and economist at the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to the Gilead Health Policy Advisory
Board. The advisory board - comprised of leading experts in their fields
- provides external perspective and advice, helping the company shape
programs and policies to deliver medications to patients affected by
HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis and other life-threatening diseases around the
world.
“I am thrilled that Lord Boateng and Dr. Kettler have joined the Gilead
Health Policy Advisory Board,” said Sir Richard Feachem, KBE, FREng, DSc
(Med), PhD, chairperson of the advisory board and professor of global
health at the University of California, San Francisco, and the
University of California, Berkeley. “Their important and unique
expertise will contribute greatly to Gilead’s work to address barriers
to patient care and ensure that innovative medicines are accessible to
all people who need them.”
Lord Boateng was appointed to the U.K. House of Lords in 2010 after
serving for four years as the British high commissioner to South Africa.
First elected to Parliament in 1987, Lord Boateng held various
ministerial posts, including Junior Minister for Health in 1997, before
being appointed to the Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in
2002, both under former Prime Minister Tony Blair.
A long-time advocate for international health and humanitarian issues,
Lord Boateng participated in the drafting of the 2005 Africa Commission
report calling on developed countries to increase development aid to
Africa. Lord Boateng received his law degree from the University of
Bristol.
Dr. Kettler is a senior economist in the Gates Foundation’s Global
Health Program, responsible for overseeing a portfolio of grants and
projects to foster innovation in new medicines, diagnostics and vaccines
for developing countries. Before joining the Gates Foundation, Dr.
Kettler led a project on biotechnology and international health at the
University of California, San Francisco, and worked as the senior
industrial economist for the Office of Health Economics in London. Dr.
Kettler received her doctoral degree in industrial economics from the
University of Notre Dame.
“Gilead’s role in advancing health begins by innovating in the
laboratory and extends to ensuring that patients with life-threatening
diseases are able to access care,” said Gregg H. Alton, Gilead’s
executive vice president for corporate and medical affairs. “We are
grateful for the guidance provided by the Health Policy Advisory Board
and enthusiastically welcome Lord Boateng and Dr. Kettler as members.”
About the Gilead Health Policy Advisory Board
The Gilead Health Policy Advisory Board was established in 2007 and
meets three times per year. The board provides regular input on issues
related to global health policy, access to healthcare and improved
healthcare systems, disease prevention and education, intellectual
property and trade issues, and health economics and pricing.
In addition to Sir Richard Feachem, current members of the Gilead Health
Policy Advisory Board include Seth F. Berkley, MD, CEO of the GAVI
Alliance; Michael V. Drake, MD, chancellor of the University of
California, Irvine; David Gollaher, PhD, president and CEO of the
California Healthcare Institute; Calvin Pan, MD, associate clinical
professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Robert Shapiro, PhD,
chairman of Sonecon, LLC; Richard J. Whitley, MD, professor of medicine
and microbiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham; and Per
Wold-Olsen, former president of the Human Health Intercontinental
Division of Merck & Co., Inc. Board members are appointed for two-year
terms and serve in their individual capacities.
Richard Whitley, MD, and Per Wold-Olsen are also members of the Gilead
Board of Directors.
About Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops
and commercializes innovative therapeutics in areas of unmet medical
need. The company’s mission is to advance the care of patients suffering
from life-threatening diseases worldwide. Headquartered in Foster City,
California, Gilead has operations in North America, Europe and Asia
Pacific.
For more information on Gilead Sciences, please visit the company’s
website at www.gilead.com
or call Gilead Public Affairs at 1-800-GILEAD-5 or 1-650-574-3000.
Source: Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Nick Francis, +44 208 587 2412 (Media)
Amy
Flood, 650-522-5643 (Media)
