Aegerion Pharmaceuticals Appoints John Orloff, M.D., as Executive Vice President, Head of R&D

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 03, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEGR), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for patients with debilitating rare diseases, today announced the appointment of John J. Orloff, M.D., as executive vice president, head of research and development, effective immediately.

Chief Executive Officer of Aegerion Mary Szela said, “John’s passion and commitment to patients, his experience across multiple therapeutic areas and his ability to build and lead talented R&D organizations will help Aegerion progress its mission of advancing treatments for patients who suffer from devastating rare diseases. We look forward to benefitting from John’s strategic and operational capabilities as we prepare for the planned merger between Aegerion and QLT and the launch of Novelion Therapeutics.”

Dr. Orloff brings nearly 20 years of global experience in drug discovery and development. In his role, Dr. Orloff will oversee the effort to build a nimble development organization to advance its portfolio of products for rare diseases, including the design of a clinical program for MYALEPT with the goal of developing it to its full potential. Prior to joining Aegerion, Dr. Orloff served as executive vice president, global head of research and development, and chief scientific officer of Baxalta, Inc., where he was responsible for advancing the company’s pipeline across hematology, immunology and oncology. Prior to Baxter International’s spinoff of its BioScience business to create Baxalta, Dr. Orloff held a similar role at Baxter. Prior to Baxter, he was senior vice president, global head of clinical development at Merck Serono Pharmaceuticals. Between 2003 and 2013, Dr. Orloff held a series of scientific leadership roles at Novartis Pharma AG, including senior vice president and chief medical officer. Previously, he was a senior director at Merck Research Laboratories, where he began as an associate director in 1997.

Dr. Orloff completed his internal medicine residency at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and his endocrinology and metabolism fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine, where he also spent seven years on the faculty. He holds an M.D. from University of Vermont College of Medicine and a B.A. from Dartmouth College.

Dr. Orloff commented, “We have a unique opportunity to build upon Aegerion’s portfolio of transformative therapies treating rare diseases, beginning with evaluating potential new indications for MYALEPT®. I am proud to join a team whose foundation is an unwavering commitment to patient care with a vision to create a leading rare disease-focused biotech company.” 

About Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Aegerion Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for patients with debilitating rare diseases.  For more information about the company, please visit www.aegerion.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the potential expansion of MYALEPT development and our development programs and portfolio in general; potential in-licensing opportunities; and the closing of the merger with QLT. These forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees of future performance, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. In particular, the risks and uncertainties include, among others: the risk that we fail to receive, on a timely basis or otherwise, the required approvals by Aegerion and QLT shareholders and government or regulatory agencies that are necessary to close the merger; the risk that a condition to closing of the merger may not be satisfied; the risk that regulatory authorities in regions or countries where either of our products is not yet approved may refuse to approve such products or additional indications for such products, such approvals are not made on a timely basis or such approvals impose significant restrictions or require additional development; the risks that positive pre-clinical or early stage data does not carry over into late stage data and therefore results in decisions to stop clinical development or the failure to achieve regulatory approvals; and the other risks inherent in the commercialization, drug development and regulatory approval process. For additional disclosure regarding these and other risks we face, see the disclosure contained in the “Risk Factors” section of Aegerion’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 9, 2016, and our other public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. We undertake no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.

Investors and others should note that we communicate with our investors and the public using our company website (www.aegerion.com) and our investor relations website (http://ir.aegerion.com), including but not limited to company disclosures; investor presentations and FAQs; Securities and Exchange Commission filings; press releases; public conference calls and webcasts. The information that we post on these websites could be deemed to be material information. As a result, we encourage investors, the media, and others interested to review the information that we post there on a regular basis. The contents of our website shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

CONTACT: CONTACT:
Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.                                                        
Amanda Murphy, Associate Director, Investor & Public Relations                                 
857-242-5024  
Amanda.murphy@aegerion.com

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