Vertex Appoints E. Morrey Atkinson, Ph.D., to EVP and Chief Technical Operations Officer, Head of Biopharmaceutical Sciences and Manufacturing Operations

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced that E. Morrey Atkinson, Ph.D., has been appointed Executive Vice President, Chief Technical Operations Officer, Head of Biopharmaceutical Sciences and Manufacturing Operations, effective immediately. Dr. Atkinson has served as Senior Vice President of Global Commercial Manufacturing and Supply Chain since July 2020. This new role and function unifies responsibility for small molecule, cell and gene therapies across preclinical, clinical and commercial biopharmaceutical sciences, manufacturing operations and global supply chain.

“Over the last three years, Morrey has played a vital role in building out our commercial manufacturing and supply chain capabilities and ensuring launch preparedness for the next wave of potential medicines,” said Reshma Kewalramani, M.D., Chief Executive Officer and President of Vertex. “By establishing this new Biopharmaceutical Sciences and Manufacturing Operations function under Morrey, a highly regarded leader with a strong track record of manufacturing excellence, we will further drive innovation and acceleration in developing, manufacturing and delivering our diverse pipeline spanning multiple modalities.”

Prior to joining Vertex, Dr. Atkinson held various roles of increasing responsibility at Eli Lilly, Cook Pharmica, and most recently Bristol Myers Squibb, where he served as Senior Vice President of Global Manufacturing Operations. In his nearly 30-year career in the biopharmaceutical industry, Morrey has been involved in all aspects of preclinical, clinical and commercial manufacturing including small molecules, biologics and cell therapies. Dr. Atkinson received a B.S. from Indiana University in Biology and a Ph.D. from Stanford University in Biological Sciences.

“This is an exciting time at Vertex as we prepare for multiple potential, near-term commercial launches, progress our broad mid- to late-stage clinical pipeline, and advance research-stage programs toward the clinic,” said Dr. Atkinson. “We have an outstanding team in biopharmaceutical sciences, manufacturing and technical operations, and I am honored to lead them in this new role as we work to deliver our portfolio of innovative therapies across small molecules, cell and gene therapies.”