Emil Kakkis

Last updated
Emil Kakkis
Born1960
Education Pomona College
UCLA
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Known forDeveloping treatments for ultra rare disorders
Medical career
Institutions Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, Founder
Kakkis EveryLife Foundation, Founder
BioMarin, Former Chief Medical Officer
Sub-specialtiesRare biochemical and genetic diseases also known as inborn error of metabolism
ResearchEnzyme Replacement Therapy
AwardsBogen Prize
Vaile Prize in Biology
Lifetime achievement award from the National MPS Society
California Life Sciences Award

Emil Kakkis (born 1960) is an American medical geneticist known for his work to develop treatments for ultra-rare diseases. He is the Founder of the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Disease and Ultragenyx.

Contents

Professional background

Kakkis began his work at Harbor–UCLA Medical Center working with minimal funding and support to develop an enzyme replacement therapy (Aldurazyme) for the rare disorder Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS I). Translating from a successful canine model to patients was financially supported by the Ryan Foundation. [1]

Aldurazyme development was later supported by BioMarin and eventually, their partner Genzyme leading to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2003. During his tenure at BioMarin, Kakkis guided the development and approval of two more treatments for rare disorders, MPS VI and PKU and has contributed to the initiation of seven other treatment programs for rare disorders.[ citation needed ]

Kakkis graduated from Pomona College and received a combined MD and Ph.D. from the UCLA Medical Scientist Program. He completed a Pediatrics residency and Medical Genetics Training Fellowship at Harbor–UCLA Medical Center. He became an assistant professor of Pediatrics at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center from 1993 to 1998 where he initiated the enzyme therapy program for MPS I. [2]

Philanthropy

In early 2009, Kakkis founded the EveryLife Foundation to accelerate biotech innovation for rare diseases. The Foundation initiated the CureTheProcess Campaign to improve the regulatory and clinical development process for rare diseases. [3]

In 2010, Kakkis worked with the U.S. FDA and Congress to improve the regulatory process for rare diseases.[ citation needed ] This resulted in the Brownback Brown Amendment to the 2010 FDA appropriation bill. [4] [ non-primary source needed ] that required the FDA to review its rare disease regulatory policies and look for ways to improve.

Publications

References

  1. "Saving Ryan (privately): a rare genetic disease". Archived from the original on June 10, 2010. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  2. "UCLA Medicine Fall 2001 A" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-05-09.
  3. "CureTheProcess". CureTheProcess. Archived from the original on 2012-04-28. Retrieved 2012-05-09.
  4. "A Great Win for Rare Diseases in U.S. Senate Appropriation Bill" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-13. Retrieved 2012-05-09.