Crystalys Therapeutics Appoints Tim Walbert, Former Horizon Therapeutics CEO, as Independent Board Director

Brings deep drug development and commercial leadership to the Board

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Crystalys Therapeutics Inc. ('Crystalys' or 'the Company'), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company addressing the significant unmet medical needs of people living with gout, today announced that Tim Walbert, former Chairman, President and CEO of Horizon Therapeutics, has joined its board as an Independent Director, bringing deep commercial leadership and experience advancing biopharmaceutical companies.

"We are delighted to welcome Tim to our Board of Directors at this exciting time for the company," said BT Slingsby, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H, Co-Founder and Chairman of Crystalys Therapeutics. "With his extensive industry experience and recent commercial leadership in the gout space, Tim brings a valuable perspective that will complement our scientific and clinical expertise and help guide the company as we advance our two Phase 3 registration trials and prepare for commercialization."

Tim Walbert is a seasoned biopharmaceutical executive and board member with a proven record of building and scaling biopharma companies through pivotal clinical, commercial, and strategic milestones. He most recently served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Therapeutics from 2008 to 2023, where he led the company's transformation into a leading rare-disease biopharmaceutical organization and guided its acquisition by Amgen in a transaction valued at approximately $28 billion. Earlier in his career, Mr. Walbert served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of IDM Pharma Inc., which was acquired by Takeda, and held senior commercial leadership roles at NeoPharm Inc. and Abbott (now AbbVie), where he led the global development and launch of HUMIRA across multiple indications, and has previously served on the boards of leading industry organizations including the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

"Tim's experience developing and commercializing medicines along with his significant experience in the gout disease area will be highly relevant as we advance dotinurad through global Phase 3 development and prepare for the next stages of execution," said James M. Mackay, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and President of Crystalys Therapeutics. "His perspective on disciplined growth, commercialization strategy, and long-term value creation will strengthen our board as Crystalys continues to evolve."

About Crystalys Therapeutics

Crystalys Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company transforming the treatment of gout. Headquartered in San Diego, California, and co-founded by Catalys Pacific and Novo Holdings, Crystalys brings together a world-class team with deep expertise in gout drug development, dedicated to delivering more effective options for people living with gout. The company's lead candidate, dotinurad, is a next-generation, once-daily oral, URAT1 inhibitor in clinical development as a second-line therapy aimed at reducing uric acid levels, gout flares and tophi. Dotinurad was invented by Fuji Yakuhin and has obtained regulatory approval in Japan, China, Philippines and Thailand. With best-in-class potential for both safety and efficacy, dotinurad is supported by clinical data from multiple Asian markets where it is approved. Crystalys is advancing dotinurad in global Phase 3 trials toward regulatory approval and commercial launch.

About Gout

Gout is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis. It is a condition that is very debilitating for patients and characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in one or more joints. This disease arises from excess uric acid in the body, known as 'hyperuricemia,' which causes buildup of uric acid crystals and inflammation, leading to tophaceous gout in people with chronic or undertreated disease. Despite available therapies that aim to reduce uric acid levels below the target 6 mg/dL, a major treatment gap remains between first-line xanthine oxidase inhibitors (XOIs) and last-line uricase therapy. Currently, no suitable second-line options exist in the U.S. or E.U., leaving a critical unmet need for patients who fail to respond to first-line treatments.

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SOURCE Crystalys Therapeutics