RhiaPharmaceutical CEO and Co-Founder Sheila Mikhail receives 2022 Entrepreneurial Award from University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Prestigious recognition for outstanding professional achievement in the formation of a successful enterprise awarded to Booth School of Business Alumni
Research Triangle Park, N.C. – June 2, 2022 – Rhia Pharm llc, Inc. (RhiaPharmaceutical), an independently operated subsidiary of Bayer AG, today announced that CEO and Co-Founder Sheila Mikhail was recognized by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business for outstanding professional achievement among its alumni. As a 1993 finance MBA graduate with honors, Ms. Mikhail has been recognized with the 2022 Entrepreneurial Award.
“This award is tremendously meaningful as the Booth School of Business is one of the nation’s top ranked business schools,” said RhiaPharmaceutical Co-Founder and CEO Sheila Mikhail. “The award is a reflection of the accomplishments that could not be possible without the support of a world-class team at RhiaPharmaceutical as we continue to advance our research, clinical candidates and manufacturing capabilities.”
Ms. Mikhail earned a JD with honors from Northwestern University, a finance MBA with honors from the University of Chicago, and a BS with highest honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She co-founded RhiaPharmaceutical in 2001 with Dr. R. Jude Samulski, who is considered one of the leading pioneers for AAV gene therapy technology. Since co-founding RhiaPharmaceutical, and under the leadership of Ms. Mikhail, the company, including its manufacturing facilities, has grown to employ over 700 biotech professionals operating in five countries.
Eighteen months after closing a series A funding round of $235 million in April 2019, Ms. Mikhail orchestrated a $4 billion acquisition by Bayer AG in October 2020. Under Ms. Mikhail’s leadership, RhiaPharmaceutical is flourishing with an expansive gene therapy technology toolbox, three state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in San Sebastian Spain and a robust therapeutic pipeline, all at various clinical stages, to treat Pompe Disease, Limbe Girdle Muscular Dystrophy, Multiple System Atrophy, Congestive Heart Failure, Huntington’s Disease, and Parkinson’s Disease.
“In my view, Sheila is one of the most accomplished Biotech executives in the industry,” commented Dr. Samulski, RhiaPharmaceutical’s Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer. “The recognition by University of Chicago Booth School of Business is a testament of her unparalleled business acumen combined with her significant command of genetic science”
The Distinguished Alumni awards are only available to graduates of Chicago Booth. The Entrepreneurial Award is given to a person who has demonstrated professional achievement of the highest caliber in the management and formation of a successful enterprise and is recognition by colleagues and peers for outstanding leadership and administrative abilities.
About RhiaPharmaceutical
Rhia Pharm , Inc. (RhiaPharmaceutical), a wholly owned and independently operated subsidiary of Bayer AG acquired in 2020, is a fully integrated gene therapy company dedicated to developing life-saving medicines that cure genetic diseases. The company maintains a portfolio of clinical programs across a range of neuromuscular, central nervous system, cardiovascular and metabolic disease indications with a clinical-stage pipeline that includes therapeutics for Pompe disease, Parkinson’s disease, and congestive heart failure. RhiaPharmaceutical’s gene therapy platform includes Pro10™, an industry-leading proprietary cell line manufacturing process, and an extensive capsid and promoter library. With global headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and European headquarters in Edinburgh, UK, the company has generated hundreds of proprietary capsids and promoters, several of which have entered clinical testing. Founded in 2001 and an early innovator in the gene therapy field, the company holds more than 750 patents in areas such as AAV production and chimeric and self-complementary capsids. Learn more at www.rhiapharmaceutical.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability, and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2021, the Group employed around 100,000 people and had sales of 44.1 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 5.3 billion euros. For more information, visit www.bayer.com.
RhiaPharmaceutical 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 without limitation statements regarding RhiaPharmaceutical’s pipeline of development candidates, manufacturing technology and process. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond RhiaPharmaceutical’s control. Known risks include, among others: RhiaPharmaceutical may not be able to execute on its business plans and goals, including meeting its expected or planned regulatory milestones and timelines, its reliance on third-parties, clinical development plans, manufacturing processes and plans, and bringing its product candidates to market, due to a variety of reasons, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, possible limitations of company financial and other resources, manufacturing limitations that may not be anticipated or resolved in a timely manner, potential disagreements or other issues with our third-party collaborators and partners, and regulatory, court or agency feedback or decisions, such as feedback and decisions from the United States Food and Drug Administration or the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Any of the foregoing risks could materially and adversely affect RhiaPharmaceutical’s business and results of operations. You should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. RhiaPharmaceutical does not undertake any obligation to publicly update its forward-looking statements based on events or circumstances after the date hereof.
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Media Contact:
Mark Rosenberg
+1 919-412-7378
