Royalty Pharma Lead Independent Director Steps Down

By Hao Liu • Thursday, August 14 06:01 • Permanent Link

Royalty Pharma PLC (NASDAQ: RPRX) announced today that Henry Fernandez, its lead independent director, has stepped down from its board of directors effective August 13, 2025. Mr. Fernandez joined the board in July 2020 and was unanimously appointed as lead independent director in March 2021.

Pablo Legorreta, the founder and CEO of Royalty Pharma, expressed gratitude for Fernandez's contributions over the past five years, noting that his experience as a seasoned chief executive of a public company and exceptional business acumen have been invaluable. Fernandez's leadership has helped Royalty Pharma achieve numerous milestones, including the completion of internalization, positioning the company favorably for continued growth.

Fernandez himself remarked on the company's exceptional execution of its strategy since its IPO in 2020, solidifying its position as the clear leader in the biopharma royalty market. He expressed confidence in Royalty Pharma's ability to deliver long-term compounding growth and create sustained shareholder value through its unique business model and rigorous investment approach.

Royalty Pharma, founded in 1996, is the largest buyer of biopharmaceutical royalties and a leading funder of innovation across the biopharmaceutical industry. The company collaborates with innovators from academic institutions, research hospitals, non-profits, small and mid-cap biotechnology companies, and leading global pharmaceutical companies. Royalty Pharma has assembled a portfolio of royalties entitling it to payments based directly on the top-line sales of many industry-leading therapies.

The company's current portfolio includes royalties on more than 35 commercial products, as well as 16 development-stage product candidates. Notably, these include royalties on Vertex's Trikafta, GSK's Trelegy, Roche's Evrysdi, Johnson & Johnson's Tremfya, Biogen's Tysabri and Spinraza, and several others.

Royalty Pharma intends to name a new lead independent director in the near future. Following these announcements, the company's shares moved 0.67%, and are now trading at a price of $36.10. Check out the company's full 8-K submission here.

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