Biogen Announces Board Chair Transition

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Biogen Inc. (Nasdaq: BIIB) today announced that the Board of Directors has elected Dr. Maria C. Freire as Chair of the Board of Directors, effective immediately following the Company’s 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”), scheduled to take place on June 9, 2026. Dr. Freire will succeed Caroline Dorsa who has decided to retire from the Biogen Board of Directors and not to stand for reelection at the Annual Meeting. Dr. Freire joined the Biogen Board in 2021 and serves on the Corporate Governance Committee and on the Compensation and Management Development Committee.

Ms. Dorsa said: “It has been an honor to serve on the Board of Biogen for the past sixteen years. I am proud of the groundbreaking science and innovative medicines the Company has pioneered. I want to extend my gratitude to Chris Viehbacher, Biogen's CEO, for his strong collaboration and partnership. Under Chris' leadership and renewed focus on value creation and sustainable growth, Biogen's portfolio has transformed while continuing to deliver first-in-class therapies. With multiple opportunities ahead, we are at a pivotal moment for the Company, and I believe this is the right time for new Board leadership. As I step down, I am confident that the Board will thrive under Maria's leadership and will continue to collaborate effectively with Chris and the Management team.”

Ms. Dorsa added: “Maria is a highly respected and appreciated member of the Board and a member of the Corporate Governance Committee and the Compensation and Management Development Committee. She will continue to guide Biogen into its next growth chapter and to support the advancement of the Company’s renewed pipeline. Her extensive scientific background, encompassing early research into commercialization, along with her deep understanding of public health and policy challenges, has proven invaluable since she joined the Biogen Board.”

Dr. Freire said: "It is a great privilege to succeed Caroline with whom I have worked closely since 2021. The Board has undergone significant changes under her leadership, and I look forward to continuing collaboration with my fellow Board members and the Management team to further advance Biogen's mission. With my in-depth knowledge of the Company and its strategy, I am excited about the opportunities ahead. We are embarking on a new chapter for Biogen, having established a robust foundation for sustainable growth and entering a catalyst-rich period with several readouts in the next 18 months, including potentially enabling filing in lupus and nephrology.”

Christopher A. Viehbacher, President and Chief Executive Officer of Biogen, said: "I would like to thank Caroline on behalf of the entire Biogen team for her visionary leadership in driving innovation and creating shareholder value as Chair of our Board of Directors, as Past-Chair of the Audit Committee and as a Board member. During her tenure as Chair of the Board, Caroline fostered a culture of rigor, transparency and trust. I would like to express my gratitude to Caroline for being always available and for her counsel and guidance. With Maria’s broad expertise in science and drug development, she is a natural successor to Caroline, bringing important perspective at this pivotal time for Biogen. I look forward to continuing to work with her and the rest of the Board to advance our long-term growth strategy.”

Dr. Freire brings to the Biogen Board extensive experience in biomedical innovation, drug development, public–private partnerships, and science policy, with a career spanning biotechnology, global health, and life sciences infrastructure. She has a distinguished record of overseeing complex, mission-critical organizations with a focus on long-term value creation and patient-centric outcomes.

Dr. Freire is Founder and Principal of The Freire Group, a strategic advisory firm serving life sciences organizations. In addition to Biogen, she currently serves on the boards of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., Exelixis, Inc., and Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cell Biology, and is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Previously, Dr. Freire served as President and Executive Director of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), where she led large-scale public–private partnerships advancing research and clinical development across oncology, neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases, and managed complex multi-stakeholder collaborations involving government, industry, and philanthropy.

Earlier, Dr. Freire was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance), where she built and led a sustainable drug development organization that advanced a range of compounds through the drug development pathway, including pretomanid from preclinical research into clinical trials, (demonstrating capital-efficient development and strategic portfolio management). Pretomanid is now approved for the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

She previously served as President of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, which administers the internationally recognized Lasker Awards, and as Director of the Office of Technology Transfer at the National Institutes of Health, where she oversaw intellectual property strategy, licensing, and industry partnerships.

Dr. Freire has served on and chaired the Science Board of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, was a member of the World Health Organization Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health, and was appointed to the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines. Her honors include the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service, the Arthur S. Flemming Award, and the Bayh-Dole Award.

Dr. Freire holds a B.S. from Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru, and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of Virginia.

About Biogen
Founded in 1978, Biogen is a leading biotechnology Company that pioneers innovative science to deliver new medicines to transform patients’ lives and to create value for shareholders and our communities. We apply deep understanding of human biology and leverage different modalities to advance first-in-class treatments or therapies that deliver superior outcomes. Our approach is to take bold risks, balanced with return on investment to deliver long-term growth.

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