PALO ALTO, Calif., April 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that Samuel R. Saks, its Chief Executive Officer and a member of its Board of Directors, has resigned from both positions, effective as of April 3, 2009. Dr. Saks will serve as a consultant to the company on medical and clinical matters after his departure.
"We thank Sam for his enormous contributions to Jazz Pharmaceuticals since its founding in 2003," said Bruce C. Cozadd, the company's Executive Chairman. "His dedication to patients, employees and our company culture has been an inspiration to all of us," he continued.
The Board of Directors has appointed Bruce C. Cozadd as the company's Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Cozadd has been Jazz Pharmaceuticals' Executive Chairman, and a member of the Board of Directors, since the company's founding in 2003. From 1991 until 2001, he held various positions with ALZA Corporation, a pharmaceutical company now owned by Johnson & Johnson, most recently as its Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, with responsibility for research and development, manufacturing and sales and marketing. Previously at ALZA Corporation, he held the roles of Chief Financial Officer and Vice President, Corporate Planning and Analysis. Mr. Cozadd received a B.S. from Yale University and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Mr. Cozadd serves on the boards of Cerus Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company; Threshold Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company; and The Nueva School and Stanford Hospital and Clinics, both non-profit organizations.
The Board of Directors has appointed Robert M. Myers, Jazz Pharmaceuticals' President, to the Board of Directors to fill the vacancy on the Board of Directors created by Dr. Saks' resignation. Mr. Myers joined Jazz Pharmaceuticals at its inception. He was appointed as Jazz Pharmaceuticals' President in March 2007. From 2003 until 2007, Mr. Myers served as Jazz Pharmaceuticals' Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer. From 2002 until 2003, Mr. Myers served as Executive Vice President, Pharmaceuticals at Exelixis, Inc., a biotechnology company. He previously held various positions with ALZA Corporation from 1992 to 2001, most recently as its Senior Vice President, Commercial Development. In this role, he was responsible for ALZA Corporation's corporate development, mergers and acquisitions, new product planning and corporate planning. Mr. Myers received B.S. and M.S. degrees from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
About Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on identifying, developing and commercializing innovative products to meet unmet medical needs in neurology and psychiatry. For further information see http://www.jazzpharmaceuticals.com/.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
CONTACT: Willie Quinn, Executive Director, Corporate Development of Jazz
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., +1-650-496-2800, investorinfo@jazzpharmaceuticals.com
Web Site: http://www.jazzpharmaceuticals.com/
