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Sarepta Therapeutics Appoints Guriqbal S. Basi, Ph.D. as Chief Scientific Officer

The appointment of Dr. Basi, formerly the chief science and technology officer of Elan, continues to strengthen Sarepta’s leadership team as it accelerates the advancement of its rare disease pipeline

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRPT), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of precision genetic medicines to treat rare neuromuscular diseases, today announced the appointment of Guriqbal “Guriq” S. Basi, Ph.D. as chief scientific officer (CSO). Dr. Basi brings to Sarepta 30 years of experience serving in increasing roles of responsibility at Elan and other biotechnology companies. Dr. Basi will report to Douglas Ingram, Sarepta’s chief executive officer, and will be responsible for leading the direction of the Company’s discovery pipeline and translational research efforts. 

Dr. Basi joins Sarepta after serving in several senior leadership roles at Elan, including chief science and technology officer and head of pre-clinical development. He was also the former CSO for Circuit Therapeutics, Inc. and Symic Biomedical.

“Dr. Basi brings to Sarepta a long and impressive career marked by a commitment to scientific excellence,” said Mr. Ingram. “I am excited to bring Dr. Basi to the team as we focus on accelerating our pipeline. We have made strides toward our goal of bringing therapies and a better life to as many children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy as possible, but patients are waiting and we must accelerate our efforts. Dr. Basi’s expertise will prove invaluable as we move our next-generation technology into the clinic and continue to support and advance our exciting collaborative programs.”

“The scientific underpinnings of Sarepta’s technology for the development of precision genetic medicines are unparalleled in the industry. I am particularly excited about the Company’s PMO and PPMO technology platforms, and our gene therapy investments, which have the potential to generate a strong pipeline of unique treatments for DMD and other neuromuscular diseases,” said Dr. Basi. “With a multi-front treatment approach, Sarepta is poised to make a profound difference in the lives of patients with rare neuromuscular diseases and their families. I am excited to join Sarepta, and its strong team of scientists, as we focus on realizing the potential of our existing pipeline while exploring additional opportunities to bolster our pipeline to improve the lives of those suffering from rare diseases.”

Dr. Basi earned his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago. His thesis published in Molecular and Cellular Biology was one of the earliest examples documenting alternative splicing in a cellular system. Over the course of his career, Dr. Basi has co-authored more than 25 peer-reviewed journal articles and is the owner of nearly a dozen U.S. patents. He served on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Parkinson’s Progression Marker Initiative, sponsored and funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation, as well as an invited member of the Scientific Strategy and Planning Committee of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Discovery Foundation. Dr. Basi also earned a B.S. in Biochemistry from the Ohio State University.

About Sarepta Therapeutics

Sarepta Therapeutics is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of precision genetic medicines to treat rare neuromuscular diseases. The Company is primarily focused on rapidly advancing the development of its potentially disease-modifying Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) drug candidates. For more information, please visit www.sarepta.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements". Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Words such as "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will," "intends," "potential," "possible" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the appointment of Dr. Basi strengthening Sarepta’s leadership team as it accelerates the advancement of its rare disease pipeline; Sarepta’s goal of bringing therapies and a better life to as many children with DMD as possible; Dr. Basi’s expertise proving invaluable as Sarepta moves its next-generation technology into the clinic and continues to support and advance its collaborative programs; the scientific underpinnings of Sarepta’s technology for the development of precision genetic medicines and the potential of Sarepta’s PMO and PPMO technology platforms, and its gene therapy investments, to generate a strong pipeline of unique treatments for DMD and other neuromuscular diseases; and Sarepta being poised to make a profound difference in the lives of patients with rare neuro-muscular diseases and their families.

These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Sarepta's control. Known risk factors include, among others: Sarepta may not be able to successfully harness its technologies, including its PMO and PPMO platforms, to achieve its goals; Sarepta may not be able to develop and commercialize additional novel therapies that address DMD or rapidly advance its RNA-targeted platforms and gene therapy programs;  Sarepta may not be able to complete clinical trials required by the FDA for approval of its product candidates; the results of Sarepta’s ongoing research and development efforts and clinical trials for its product candidates may not be positive or consistent with prior results or demonstrate a safe treatment benefit; Sarepta may not be able to execute on its business plans, including meeting its expected or planned regulatory milestones and timelines, clinical development plans, and bringing its product(s) to U.S. and ex-U.S. markets for various reasons including possible limitations of company financial and other resources, manufacturing limitations that may not be anticipated or resolved for in a timely manner, and regulatory, court or agency decisions, such as decisions by the United States Patent and Trademark Office with respect to patents that cover Sarepta’s product candidates; and those risks identified under the heading “Risk Factors” in Sarepta’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and Sarepta’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as well as other SEC filings made by the Company which you are encouraged to review.

Any of the foregoing risks could adversely affect Sarepta's business, results of operations and the trading price of Sarepta's common stock. For a detailed description of risks and uncertainties Sarepta faces, you are encouraged to review Sarepta's 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K and most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2017 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as well as other SEC filings made by Sarepta. We caution investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Sarepta does not undertake any obligation to publicly update its forward-looking statements based on events or circumstances after the date hereof.

Internet Posting of Information

We routinely post information that may be important to investors in the 'For Investors' section of our website at www.sarepta.com. We encourage investors and potential investors to consult our website regularly for important information about us.

Source: Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.

Media and Investors:
Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.
Ian Estepan, 617-274-4052
iestepan@sarepta.com
or
W2O Group
Brian Reid, 212-257-6725
breid@w2ogroup.com

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