Vertex Announces CEO Succession Plan; Jeffrey Leiden to become CEO in February 2012

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated VRTX today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Jeffrey Leiden, M.D., Ph.D., to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer, effective February 1, 2012. Dr. Leiden has been a Director on Vertex's Board since mid-2009 and brings to Vertex more than 20 years of scientific, commercial and financial experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries and clinical experience in academia as a practicing cardiologist and molecular biologist.