Orchard Therapeutics has announced the appointment of Mark Rothera as President and Chief Executive Officer.

Rothera brings 28 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry including driving the transition of multiple emerging biotechnology companies from R&D stage to commercialization. During his career, he has focused on bringing novel therapies to market for patients with rare diseases, and has launched seven orphan drugs. 

Until recently Rothera served as chief commercial officer of PTC Therapeutics (PTC) where he helped transition the company from a privately funded, U.S.-based R&D biotech to a public, commercial stage company with a 47 country commercialization footprint. This he achieved by building a global commercialization capability and successfully launching two rare disease therapies.

Prior to joining PTC, he served as global president of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals Inc. and vice president and general manager of commercial operations at Shire Human Genetic Therapies for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Rothera received an M.A. in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University and an MBA from INSEAD.

Company directors Ben Auspitz and Alex Pasteur, of F-Prime Capital, said “We are delighted to welcome Mark as CEO of Orchard. He has a patient-centered approach and is focused on delivering access to innovative therapies as early as possible. He joins Orchard at a key time, as we progress a mature clinical pipeline towards several major milestones. Mark brings proven commercialization and leadership skills, and he will have a great impact on the company during our next phase of growth.”

Rothera commented, “Now is an exciting time to be joining Orchard as the cell and gene therapy field is advancing successfully. Gene therapy can have a profound, life-changing effect on patients with severe inherited diseases. The clinical data we’ve seen to date with Orchard’s therapy for ADA-SCID is exceptional, and the company has assembled an impressive R&D pipeline to apply the approach more widely. I’m honored to join such a talented management team and exceptional academic founders as CEO, and I look forward to leading Orchard in the years ahead.”