San Rafael, Calif. – September 17, 2026 -- BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (Nasdaq: BMRN) has appointed Robert Plenge, M.D., Ph.D., to its Board of Directors, effective September 10, 2026.
Plenge brings nine-site global research oversight from Bristol Myers Squibb
Dr. Plenge currently serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Research Officer and Head of Research at Bristol Myers Squibb, directing scientific operations across nine research sites worldwide. He joined the company in November 2019 through its acquisition of Celgene Corp., where he had led the immunology and inflammation portfolio in research and early development.
Career spans Merck, Harvard and Broad Institute
Before Celgene, Dr. Plenge was vice president and head of translational medicine at Merck & Co. He previously held posts as assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and associate member of the Broad Institute. He currently sits on the boards of Alltrna and the PhRMA Foundation, and holds an M.D. and Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University plus a bachelor's degree from the University of California, San Diego.
BioMarin CEO cites genetics expertise for pipeline expansion
President and CEO Alexander Hardy said Plenge's background in human genetics and drug discovery will support BioMarin's efforts to build research capability and expand its pipeline in genetic conditions. BioMarin has developed and secured approval for six first-in-disease medicines for rare genetic conditions over the past three decades, according to the company.