PALO ALTO, Calif., April 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Jazz Pharmaceuticals,
Inc. (Nasdaq: JAZZ) today announced that Samuel R. Saks, its Chief Executive
Officer and a member of its Board of Directors, has resigned from both
positions, effective as of April 3, 2009. Dr. Saks will serve as a consultant
to the company on medical and clinical matters after his departure.
"We thank Sam for his enormous contributions to Jazz Pharmaceuticals since
its founding in 2003," said Bruce C. Cozadd, the company's Executive Chairman.
"His dedication to patients, employees and our company culture has been an
inspiration to all of us," he continued.
The Board of Directors has appointed Bruce C. Cozadd as the company's
Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Cozadd has been Jazz Pharmaceuticals' Executive
Chairman, and a member of the Board of Directors, since the company's founding
in 2003. From 1991 until 2001, he held various positions with ALZA
Corporation, a pharmaceutical company now owned by Johnson & Johnson, most
recently as its Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, with
responsibility for research and development, manufacturing and sales and
marketing. Previously at ALZA Corporation, he held the roles of Chief
Financial Officer and Vice President, Corporate Planning and Analysis. Mr.
Cozadd received a B.S. from Yale University and an M.B.A. from the Stanford
Graduate School of Business. Mr. Cozadd serves on the boards of Cerus
Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company; Threshold Pharmaceuticals, a
biotechnology company; and The Nueva School and Stanford Hospital and Clinics,
both non-profit organizations.
The Board of Directors has appointed Robert M. Myers, Jazz
Pharmaceuticals' President, to the Board of Directors to fill the vacancy on
the Board of Directors created by Dr. Saks' resignation. Mr. Myers joined
Jazz Pharmaceuticals at its inception. He was appointed as Jazz
Pharmaceuticals' President in March 2007. From 2003 until 2007, Mr. Myers
served as Jazz Pharmaceuticals' Executive Vice President and Chief Business
Officer. From 2002 until 2003, Mr. Myers served as Executive Vice President,
Pharmaceuticals at Exelixis, Inc., a biotechnology company. He previously held
various positions with ALZA Corporation from 1992 to 2001, most recently as
its Senior Vice President, Commercial Development. In this role, he was
responsible for ALZA Corporation's corporate development, mergers and
acquisitions, new product planning and corporate planning. Mr. Myers received
B.S. and M.S. degrees from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from the Stanford
Graduate School of Business.
About Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on
identifying, developing and commercializing innovative products to meet unmet
medical needs in neurology and psychiatry. For further information see
www.JazzPharmaceuticals.com.
SOURCE Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
04/02/2009
CONTACT: Willie Quinn, Executive Director, Corporate Development of Jazz
Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,
+1-650-496-2800, investorinfo@jazzpharmaceuticals.com/
Web Site: http://www.jazzpharmaceuticals.com /
(JAZZ)
