CMTA Board Evolution: Welcoming Bernard Coulie and Kevin Marks

· *Bernard Coulie and Kevin Marks bring significant corporate, drug development, and compliance experience to the CMTA Board*
· *The CMTA Board and CMT community are profoundly grateful for the significant contributions of departing board members Phyllis Sanders, Alan Korowitz, Elizabeth Ouellette, and Chris Ouellette as they transition to new roles as special advisors*

*GLENOLDEN, PA / ACCESSWIRE / March 25, 2024 / *The Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA), the largest philanthropic funder of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) research aimed at bringing treatments and a cure to patients, is pleased to announce the appointment of Bernard Coulie, M.D., Ph.D., and Kevin Marks to its Board of Directors.

Bernard Coulie brings a wealth of experience to the CMTA Board. As the CEO and President of Pliant Therapeutics, a NASDAQ-listed biopharmaceutical company focusing on rare and life-threatening fibrotic diseases, Bernard has dedicated over 20 years to the biopharmaceutical industry in both executive leadership as well as board of director roles. His personal connection to CMT, dating back to 1997 when his son was diagnosed with CMT1A, fuels his commitment to advancing treatments for the disease. Bernard holds an M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Leuven, Belgium, and an M.B.A. from the Vlerick Management School, in Leuven, Belgium. He brings invaluable insights as a physician, an executive, and an experienced drug developer.

Kevin Marks joins the CMTA Board with a distinguished legal background in the drug development space. Currently serving as Chief Legal Officer at Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI), Kevin oversees legal, intellectual property, and human resources. Prior to PICI, he held leadership positions at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and Roche Diagnostics where he served as Vice President and Head of Legal and Compliance. Kevin brings extensive experience in the therapeutics and diagnostics sectors, legal and compliance issues, and sponsored research. He earned his law degree from Villanova University after completing his undergraduate studies at Lafayette College.

"We are thrilled to welcome leaders of such exceptional caliber as Bernard Coulie and Kevin Marks to the CMTA Board of Directors," said Gilles Bouchard, CMTA Chairman of the Board. "Their experience and passion for bringing treatments to patients will be invaluable as we continue our drive to achieve our vision of a world without CMT."

The CMTA expresses its deepest gratitude to Phyllis Sanders, Alan Korowitz, Elizabeth Ouellette, and Chris Ouellette for their dedicated service on the Board of Directors. Their significant contributions over many years have played a pivotal role in establishing the CMTA as the recognized leader it is today. The CMTA looks forward to continuing to work with them in their new roles as special advisors to the Board.

*About CMT*

Named after the three doctors who first described it in 1886: Charcot, Marie, and Tooth, CMT affects one in every 2,500 people - a rare disease subdivided into multiple subtypes, each with a lower prevalence. Due to the degradation of their nerves, people with CMT suffer lifelong progressive muscle weakness and atrophy of the arms and legs, and can affect other parts of the body. This leads to problems with balance, walking, hand use, and more. There currently is no treatment or cure for this debilitating disease.

*About the CMTA*

The CMTA is a community-led, community-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to support the development of new treatments for CMT, to improve the quality of life for people with CMT, and, ultimately, to find a cure. As the leading global philanthropic funder of CMT research, the CMTA unites the community with clinicians and industry experts to accelerate the advancement of treatments, with investments of more than $24 million since 2008. For more information, visit https://www.cmtausa.org

*Contact Information*

Kenny Raymond
Head of Communications, Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association
kenny@cmtausa.org
+1-734-862-8702

*SOURCE:* The Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association

View the original press release on newswire.com.