Business
Ultragenyx Issues Inaugural Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report
NOVATO, Calif., April 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: RARE), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and
About this update from Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"NOVATO, Calif., April 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: RARE), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel products for serious rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases, today issued its inaugural ESG report. The new report provides an overview of the Company's ESG milestones, commitments and aspirations. “From the earliest days at Ultragenyx we have operated under the fundamental principles that our success as a company is inextricably tied to expediting development of new therapies, improving access to treatments, maintaining a people-first culture, and most importantly, doing the right thing for people with rare disease,” said Emil D. Kakkis, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and President of Ultragenyx. “This report introduces our ESG strategy and is a meaningful evolution of our ESG journey. We look forward to building on this foundation as we establish our long-term goals and commitments and continue to report on our progress.” In 2021, Ultragenyx established a set of priorities and a strategic ESG framework based on five pillars: Patients, People, Communities, Planet and Governance. Ultragenyx’s key ESG commitments and high level 2021 highlights include: Patients: Our commitments include developing life-changing treatments for rare and ultra-rare diseases and achieving majority access to our medicines. Since 2013, more than 380 patients in 43 countries have been approved for access to Ultragenyx treatments through various global expanded access and patient assistance programs, and there are currently more than 400 active participants enrolled in 55 investigator sponsored clinical trials.In 2021, we donated over $2.2 million to more than 100 rare disease patient advocacy groups in 18 countries to help them achieve their goals. People: Our commitments include maintaining a diverse, inclusive, safe and healthy environment, and being a company where employees feel respected and valued. Our commitments also include fair and equitable compensation practices that are transparent and free from bias. We have a diverse workforce with women representing 58% of our global workforce and 43% of our leadership positions at the VP level or above.In 2021, we exceeded our objective to maintain a high employee engagement survey score above 85% and maintained a volun...