Crystalys Therapeutics has appointed Tim Walbert, the former Chairman, President, and CEO of Horizon Therapeutics, to its board of directors as an independent director, adding a veteran biopharmaceutical executive with deep commercial and drug-development experience in gout.
The San Diego-based company, which is advancing its lead gout candidate, dotinurad, through global Phase 3 development, said Walbert’s track record of scaling biopharma organizations through pivotal clinical and commercial milestones will support Crystalys as it runs two Phase 3 registration trials and begins planning for commercialization.
Walbert most recently led Horizon Therapeutics from 2008 to 2023, overseeing the company’s evolution into a rare-disease biopharmaceutical organization and its acquisition by Amgen for approximately $28 billion. Earlier roles included serving as President, CEO and Director of IDM Pharma Inc., which was acquired by Takeda, and holding senior commercial leadership positions at NeoPharm and Abbott, where he helped lead the global development and launch of HUMIRA across multiple indications. He has also served on boards tied to the broader biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, including BIO and PhRMA.
Crystalys is focused on transforming gout treatment, positioning dotinurad as a next-generation, once-daily oral URAT1 inhibitor intended for use as a second-line therapy to reduce uric acid levels, gout flares, and tophi. The company noted that dotinurad was invented by Fuji Yakuhin and already has regulatory approvals in several Asian markets, including Japan, China, the Philippines, and Thailand, with supporting clinical data from those regions.
In outlining the market need, Crystalys pointed to what it described as a gap between first-line xanthine oxidase inhibitors and last-line uricase therapy, arguing that patients who do not respond adequately to first-line treatments lack suitable second-line options in the U.S. and E.U.
KEY QUOTES
“We are delighted to welcome Tim to our Board of Directors at this exciting time for the company,” “With his extensive industry experience and recent commercial leadership in the gout space, Tim brings a valuable perspective that will complement our scientific and clinical expertise and help guide the company as we advance our two Phase 3 registration trials and prepare for commercialization.”
BT Slingsby, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., Co-Founder And Chairman, Crystalys Therapeutics
“Tim’s experience developing and commercializing medicines along with his significant experience in the gout disease area will be highly relevant as we advance dotinurad through global Phase 3 development and prepare for the next stages of execution,” “His perspective on disciplined growth, commercialization strategy, and long-term value creation will strengthen our board as Crystalys continues to evolve.”
James M. Mackay, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer And President, Crystalys Therapeutics
