GBT Appoints Kim Smith-Whitley, M.D., to Lead Research and Development

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Dec. 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. (GBT) (NASDAQ: GBT) today announced that world-renowned hematologist and sickle cell disease (SCD) thought leader and advocate Kim Smith-Whitley, M.D., will join the company as executive vice president and head of research and development.

“As we enter a period of expected sustained growth for years to come, aligning our research and development teams under a single leader will make GBT even more efficient and productive in bringing innovative medicines to patients. We are absolutely thrilled to add Kim, a committed and accomplished global leader in sickle cell disease, to our senior management team and to lead this critical effort,” said Ted W. Love, M.D., president and chief executive officer of GBT. “Kim has an impressive track record of developing innovative programs that advance patient care. Her experience and passion will be invaluable as we continue GBT’s journey to be the leader in sickle cell treatments and transform this devastating disease into a well-managed condition.”

Dr. Smith-Whitley is a board-certified pediatric hematologist and clinical director of hematology and director of the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Dr. Smith-Whitley’s clinical work has centered on program development and clinical initiatives to support evidence-based clinical care. Her research has focused on SCD, specifically pulmonary complications, transfusion-related complications and health care utilization. She has served as principal investigator for many federally- and industry-funded clinical research studies, including clinical trials related to pain prevention and curative therapies.

Dr. Smith-Whitley will officially join GBT in 2021, and in the interim, will serve in an advisory capacity. Upon joining the company, she plans to continue seeing patients part-time.

“With more than 30 years of helping patients battle sickle cell disease, it is a true privilege to now have the opportunity to work with the tremendous expertise at GBT and make an even broader impact on patients,” said Dr. Smith-Whitley. “Leading GBT’s stellar R&D teams from drug discovery to late-stage development and accelerating the work to bring more transformative medicines to more patients, for me, is really a dream job.”