SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Jan. 04, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ:BMRN) announced today that David Pyott has been elected to the company's board of directors.  Mr. Pyott is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Allergan and will join the BioMarin Board effective immediately.  

"I am delighted to have David join BioMarin's board of directors," said Jean-Jacques Bienaimé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BioMarin.  "He is an accomplished executive who led Allergan to significant profitability through its global operations across 100 countries. As BioMarin prepares for regulatory filings with multiple new molecular entities in 2016, David's expertise in organizational scaling will be instrumental as we pursue the next significant stage of growth for the Company."

From 1998 to 2015, Mr. Pyott served as CEO of Allergan, where he was recognized by the Harvard Business Review as one of "The 100 Best Performing CEO's in the World."  Under his leadership, Allergan was transformed from a small eye care business with approximately $1 billion in sales to a global specialty pharmaceutical and medical device company, with sales over $7 billion in 2014 and more than 10,000 employees.

Prior to Allergan, Mr. Pyott served as the Head of the Novartis Nutrition Division and as a member of the Executive Committee of Switzerland-based Novartis AG. Mr. Pyott is Lead Director and a member of the Board of Directors of Avery Dennison Corporation, a member of the Board of Directors of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and a member of the Supervisory Board of Royal Philips in the Netherlands. He is Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Chapman University, a member of the Governing Board of the London Business School, President of the International Council of Ophthalmology Foundation, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Mr. Pyott holds a Diploma in International and European Law from the Europa Institute at the University of Amsterdam, a Master of Arts degree from the University of Edinburgh, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the London Business School.

About BioMarin

BioMarin is a global biotechnology company that develops and commercializes innovative therapies for patients with serious and life-threatening rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases. The company's portfolio consists of five commercialized products and multiple clinical and pre-clinical product candidates. For additional information, please visit www.BMRN.com.

Contacts:

Investors
Traci McCarty
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.
(415) 455-7558

Media
Debra Charlesworth
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.
(415) 455-7451