BioCryst Pharma (BCRX) Appoints Helen Thackray, M.D., as Chief Research and Development Officer

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: BCRX) today announced that the company has appointed Helen Thackray, M.D., FAAP, to the newly created position of chief research and development officer.

In this role, Dr. Thackray will be responsible for continuing to build the company’s portfolio of rare disease medicines by developing and advancing the company’s R&D strategy from drug discovery through clinical development and regulatory approval.

Dr. Thackray currently serves on the BioCryst board of directors and most recently served as chief medical officer and senior vice president of clinical development at GlycoMimetics, Inc. where she led their orphan product, fast track, and breakthrough therapy programs at all stages of development in rare diseases and oncology.

Prior to joining GlycoMimetics, Dr. Thackray was vice president of clinical development at Biosynexus, and served for over a decade on the research ethics review board of the National Center for Healthcare Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She is a board-certified pediatrician, serving on the faculty of the Children’s National Medical Center and George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences from 2000-present. Dr. Thackray has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed articles and presentations.

“We have seen first-hand from her many contributions as a board member how Helen’s strategic understanding of drug development enhances and accelerates our programs and we are thrilled to add her expertise to the leadership team of BioCryst as we build on our recent success and shape the future of the company,” said Jon Stonehouse, chief executive officer of BioCryst.

“The home-grown pipeline of oral compounds for multiple rare diseases that the discovery team at BioCryst has produced is extraordinary. I am excited to join the team at a transformational time for BioCryst as the company becomes commercial and continues to discover and develop innovative medicines that improve patients’ lives,” Thackray said.

Dr. Thackray holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biological sciences from Stanford University, and an M.D. from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She completed her pediatric residency and chief residency at Children’s National Medical Center, trained in medical genetics at the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP).

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