Orchard Therapeutics, a leading commercial-stage biotech company dedicated to transforming the lives of patients with rare diseases through innovative gene therapies, today announced the appointment of Jim Geraghty as chairman of its board of directors. Ben Auspitz, a partner at F-Prime Capital, who served as Orchard’s chairman since 2016, will transition from his current role on the board.
“Orchard is privileged to have Jim join its board of directors at this crucial phase in the company’s lifecycle, given his unique experience and insights in building a global organization over the long-term,” said Ben Auspitz. “At Genzyme, Jim played an important role in the company’s transformation from a start-up with a strong technology base in the 1980s to a leading global rare disease company. Orchard has the potential to undergo a similar transformation as a leader of the gene therapy revolution and will greatly benefit from Jim’s experience.”
Jim Geraghty is an industry leader with over 30 years of strategic experience including more than 20 years as a senior executive at biotechnology companies developing and commercializing innovative therapies. Over his career, Jim served as senior vice president, North America strategy and business development at Sanofi, and previously as senior vice president international development at Genzyme, president of Genzyme Europe, and founding president and CEO of Genzyme Transgenics. Mr. Geraghty is chairman for the boards of Idera, Pieris and Juniper Pharmaceuticals, and is a member of the board of Voyager Therapeutics. He was most recently an entrepreneur in residence at Third Rock Ventures. Mr. Geraghty started his career in healthcare strategy consulting at Bain. A graduate of Yale Law School, Mr. Geraghty also holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University.
Jim Geraghty commented, “I am excited to be joining Orchard Therapeutics, an emerging leader in gene therapy for rare diseases. The company’s autologous ex vivo gene therapy technology is poised to change the practice of medicine across many indications, and I look forward to working with the executive team and other board members to help Orchard build a leadership position in the research, development and commercialization of gene therapies.”
Mark Rothera, Orchard’s president and CEO stated, “We are delighted to welcome Jim as chair of our board of directors. Jim’s advice and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to make progress towards being a global, fully integrated company transforming the lives of patients with rare diseases through gene therapy. I would also like to thank Ben for his commitment and guidance since the company’s formation. His insights have been a key ingredient of our success during our formative years and through our previous financing rounds.”
