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Emil Kakkis | |
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Born | 1960 |
Education | Pomona College UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA |
Known for | Developing treatments for ultra rare disorders |
Medical career | |
Institutions | Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, Founder Kakkis EveryLife Foundation, Founder BioMarin, Former Chief Medical Officer |
Sub-specialties | Rare biochemical and genetic diseases also known as inborn error of metabolism |
Research | Enzyme Replacement Therapy |
Awards | Bogen 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.
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]
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.