-  Joe Kelly has been appointed to the newly created role of Head of U.S. Commercial, Endocrinology

-  Scott A. Holmes has been appointed to the newly created role of Head of Global Commercial Strategy, Endocrinology

-  Jesper Høiland, Global Chief Commercial Officer, will retire and become a senior advisor to Ascendis Pharma

-  Endocrinology commercial team will continue to focus on building U.S. market leadership for SKYTROFA^® (lonapegsomatropin-tcgd) and preparing for other anticipated TransCon™ product launches

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, May 23, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascendis Pharma A/S (Nasdaq: ASND) today announced new Endocrinology commercial leadership appointments following the retirement of Global Chief Commercial Officer Jesper Høiland:

• Having established U.S. commercial operations, Jesper Høiland will retire from his position at Ascendis Pharma to return to Denmark with his family. Mr. Høiland joined Ascendis as Senior Vice President and Global Chief Commercial Officer in May 2020, bringing more than 25 years of senior leadership experience in operations, commercialization, and global marketing to his role.
• Joe Kelly has been appointed to the newly created role of Head of U.S. Commercial, Endocrinology. Mr. Kelly joined Ascendis in September 2020 as Vice President of Sales, U.S., where he has been leading the sales team to successfully increase awareness and build demand during the launch of SKYTROFA (lonapegsomatropin-tcgd), the company's first commercial product. Mr. Kelly has over 20 years of healthcare industry and sales experience and an exceptional track record of growing sales, developing people, and carefully listening to customers’ needs.
• Scott A. Holmes has been appointed to the newly created role of Head of Global Commercial Strategy, Endocrinology. Mr. Holmes joined Ascendis in 2018 as Vice President, Commercial Analytics, where he has been responsible for building Ascendis' commercial analytics capabilities and for creating the Ascendis Signature Access Program to support patients, caregivers, physicians, and payers. In his new role, Mr. Holmes will retain responsibility for these areas and will also support development of the global commercial strategy for the Company’s endocrine rare disease portfolio. Mr. Holmes has over 20 years of global commercial biopharmaceutical expertise across four continents, and has launched market-leading endocrinology, oncology, and immunology brands.

“We thank Jesper for his contributions to building a U.S. commercial team committed to bringing new treatment options to patients,” said Jan Mikkelsen, Ascendis Pharma’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “I look forward to working with the Ascendis team to achieve our goal of market leadership for SKYTROFA and laying the foundation for our anticipated U.S. launch of TransCon PTH in 2023.”

Reflecting on his time at Ascendis, Mr. Høiland said, “It has been a privilege to establish the Ascendis endocrinology commercial organization and launch SKYTROFA in the U.S. I cannot think of a better team to lead global commercialization than Joe and Scott and look forward to consulting with them to ensure continued execution of the company’s plans.”

About Ascendis Pharma A/S
Ascendis Pharma is applying its innovative platform technology to build a leading, fully integrated biopharma company focused on making a meaningful difference in patients’ lives. Guided by its core values of patients, science and passion, the company uses its TransCon technologies to create new and potentially best-in-class therapies. Ascendis is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, and has additional facilities in Heidelberg and Berlin, Germany; Palo Alto and Redwood City, California; and Princeton, New Jersey. Please visit www.ascendispharma.com to learn more.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding Ascendis’ future operations, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to (i) Ascendis’ focus on building U.S. market leadership for SKYTROFA^® (lonapegsomatropin-tcgd) and preparing for other anticipated TransCon™ product launches, (ii) the timing of anticipated U.S. launch of TransCon PTH, (iii) Ascendis’ ability to apply its platform technology to build a leading, fully integrated biopharma company, and (iv) Ascendis’ use of its TransCon technologies to create new and potentially best-in-class therapies. Ascendis may not actually achieve the plans, carry out the intentions or meet the expectations or projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions, expectations and projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements. Various important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that Ascendis makes, including the following: dependence on third party manufacturers and distributors to supply TransCon hGH, the SKYTROFA^® Auto-Injector and other study drug for commercial sales in the U.S. and clinical studies; unforeseen safety or efficacy results in its oncology programs, TransCon hGH, TransCon PTH and TransCon CNP or other development programs; unforeseen expenses related to commercialization of lonapegsomatropin-tcgd in the U.S., the co-pay program, and the further development of TransCon hGH, expenses related to the development and potential commercialization of its oncology programs, TransCon hGH, TransCon PTH and TransCon CNP or other development programs, selling, general and administrative expenses, other research and development expenses and Ascendis’ business generally; delays in the development of its oncology programs, TransCon hGH, TransCon PTH and TransCon CNP or other development programs related to manufacturing, regulatory requirements, speed of patient recruitment or other unforeseen delays; dependence on third party manufacturers to supply study drug for planned clinical studies; Ascendis’ ability to obtain additional funding, if needed, to support its business activities and the effects on its business from the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to Ascendis’ business in general, see Ascendis’ Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 2, 2022 and Ascendis’ other future reports filed with, or submitted to, the SEC. Forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future licensing, collaborations, acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures, or investments that Ascendis may enter into or make. Ascendis does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Ascendis, Ascendis Pharma, the Ascendis Pharma logo, the company logo, TransCon, and SKYTROFA are trademarks owned by the Ascendis Pharma Group. © May 2022 Ascendis Pharma A/S.

Source: Ascendis Pharma