The Unlikely Story Of How Amicus Therapeutics Came To Be

Many Americans who watched President Donald Trump’s address to Congress this week were left curious about the story of Megan Crowley and her father John Crowley.

Trump made a point to use the Crowley’s story as an example of the type of entrepreneurial spirit the government needs to encourage by investing in American companies and easing the regulatory burden on corporate America.

Megan And Patrick Crowley

Megan Crowley and her brother Patrick were born with Pompe disease, an extremely rare disease that leads to deterioration in a child’s muscle strength. If the condition worsens enough, it may eventually lead to lung failure and death.

After his children were diagnosed, John Crowley, who holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, joined Bristol-Myers Squibb Co BMY to serve in a management role and help facilitate research to find a treatment for Pompe disease. Crowley became frustrated with the progress at Bristol-Myers and decided to take over as CEO of Novazyme Pharmaceuticals in 2000. Under Crowley’s leadership, Novazyme was soon acquired by Genzyme Corporation in 2001, which placed Crowley in charge of the company’s Pompe research team. Genzyme made Pompe a top priority, and its efforts paid off in 2003 when Crowley’s two children received Genzyme’s experimental enzyme replacement therapy.

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According to Crowley, the experimental treatment saved both his children’s lives.

The heart-warming story of John Crowley was even made into a Hollywood movie called “Extraordinary Measures,” starring Brendan Fraser as John Crowley.

Crowley's Legacy

Following his stint at Genzyme, Crowley moved on to become CEO of Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. OREX in 2003 and then president and CEO of Amicus Therapeutics, Inc. FOLD in 2005.

“Part of what we’re trying to do at Amicus therapeutics now is think about what is the next generation of therapy for Pompe, and that’s been a real focus for us for a number of years,” Crowley told CNBC’s Jim Cramer back in 2015. In addition to Pompe, Crowley’s company is working on treatments and cures for other rare and orphan diseases, such as Fabry disease and Epidermolysis Bullosa.

Trump chose to highlight John Crowley as a quintessential example of the power of American entrepreneurship. Politics aside, it would certainly be difficult to find a better example of how the American Dream is still alive and well in the 21st century.