Vertex Pharmaceuticals has appointed Jeffrey Leiden, M.D., Ph.D., to the position of president and chief executive officer, effective February 1, 2012. Dr. Leiden has been a director on Vertex’s board since 2009 and brings to Vertex more than 20 years of scientific, commercial and financial experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries and clinical experience in academia as a practicing cardiologist and molecular biologist.

Until February 1, Matthew Emmens will retain the role of chairman, president and chief executive officer; after that, he will remain chairman until May 2012 and then retire.

“Under Matt’s leadership, Vertex established itself as a company capable not only of discovering important new medicines, but of successfully bringing those medicines to patients,” said Dr. Leiden. “As a member of the Vertex board, I have been extremely impressed with the company’s ability to retain its clear focus on both groundbreaking science and improving the lives of people with serious diseases. It will be a privilege to lead Vertex at this exciting time and to further build the organization as we prepare for the global launch of our second new therapy, advance our diverse pipeline and build value for shareholders in the years ahead.”

Mr. Emmens added, “I am proud of the accomplishments we have made during my almost three years at Vertex and believe the company is well-positioned to bring forward additional innovative new medicines. Jeff brings significant and broad leadership experience to Vertex, and I am confident that his understanding of the company, combined with his unique blend of scientific, commercial and financial expertise, will help Vertex deliver on its goals in the future.”

Dr. Leiden is a managing director at Clarus Ventures, a life sciences venture capital firm he joined in 2006. In 2000, he joined Abbott Laboratories as president and chief operating officer, where he had responsibility for running Abbott’s global pharmaceuticals business. While at Abbott, Dr. Leiden helped launch multiple breakthrough medicines, including Humira (rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases) and Kaletra (HIV infection).