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NOVATO, Calif., April 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: RARE), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel products for serious rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases, today issued its inaugural ESG report. The new report provides an overview of the Company's ESG milestones, commitments and aspirations.

“From the earliest days at Ultragenyx we have operated under the fundamental principles that our success as a company is inextricably tied to expediting development of new therapies, improving access to treatments, maintaining a people-first culture, and most importantly, doing the right thing for people with rare disease,” said Emil D. Kakkis, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and President of Ultragenyx. “This report introduces our ESG strategy and is a meaningful evolution of our ESG journey. We look forward to building on this foundation as we establish our long-term goals and commitments and continue to report on our progress.”

In 2021, Ultragenyx established a set of priorities and a strategic ESG framework based on five pillars: Patients, People, Communities, Planet and Governance. Ultragenyx’s key ESG commitments and high level 2021 highlights include:

• Patients: Our commitments include developing life-changing treatments for rare and ultra-rare diseases and achieving majority access to our medicines.
  • Since 2013, more than 380 patients in 43 countries have been approved for access to Ultragenyx treatments through various global expanded access and patient assistance programs, and there are currently more than 400 active participants enrolled in 55 investigator sponsored clinical trials.
  • In 2021, we donated over $2.2 million to more than 100 rare disease patient advocacy groups in 18 countries to help them achieve their goals.
    
    
• People: Our commitments include maintaining a diverse, inclusive, safe and healthy environment, and being a company where employees feel respected and valued. Our commitments also include fair and equitable compensation practices that are transparent and free from bias.
  • We have a diverse workforce with women representing 58% of our global workforce and 43% of our leadership positions at the VP level or above.
  • In 2021, we exceeded our objective to maintain a high employee engagement survey score above 85% and maintained a voluntary turnover rate of less than 10%.
    
    
• Communities: Our commitments include building stronger and healthier communities by being a thoughtful and responsible neighbor, providing jobs and supporting public health and wellness, educational and humanitarian initiatives.
  
  • In 2021, we donated over $130,000 to 11 community-based organizations and in 2020-2021 donated $330,000 to local businesses to provide meals to first responders and at-risk communities during the pandemic.
  • We extended the number of volunteer days for employees with medical licenses, certifications and/or training so that they can volunteer their time to local hospitals where COVID-19 first response efforts are needed.
    
    
• Planet: Our commitments include developing an environmental strategy that recognizes our contributions to the health of the planet and minimizes our environmental footprint across our business.
  
  • We piloted sustainable building design standards at our new gene therapy manufacturing facility in Massachusetts, expected to open in 2023.
  • In 2021, we began purchasing 100% renewable electricity for our Novato, California, headquarters campus.
    
    
• Governance: Our commitments include maintaining strong corporate governance structures at both the board and company leadership levels and upholding the highest standards of ethics and integrity.
  • We consolidated information security and cyber resiliency activities under the leadership of our information security leader and chief information officer.
  • 100% of full-time employees received cybersecurity training in 2021.
    

The full report is available in digital format on our website at www.ultragenyx.com under “Corporate Sustainability.”

About Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.

Ultragenyx is a biopharmaceutical company committed to bringing novel therapies to patients for the treatment of serious rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases. The company has built a diverse portfolio of approved medicines and treatment candidates aimed at addressing diseases with high unmet medical need and clear biology, for which there are typically no approved therapies treating the underlying disease.

The company is led by a management team experienced in the development and commercialization of rare disease therapeutics. Ultragenyx’s strategy is predicated upon time- and cost-efficient drug development, with the goal of delivering safe and effective therapies to patients with the utmost urgency.

For more information on Ultragenyx, please visit the company's website at: www.ultragenyx.com.

Forward-Looking Statements and Use of Digital Media
This press release contains statements that are aspirational or reflective of our views about our future performance that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are generally identified through the inclusion of words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “aspire,” “believe,” commit,” “endeavor,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “seek,” “strive,” “target,” “will,” and “work,” or similar statements or variations of such terms and other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this press release concern the Company’s goals, progress or expectations with respect to corporate responsibility, sustainability, patients, products, product candidates, employees, environmental matters, policy, and business risks and opportunities. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted in such statements. These statements are based on numerous assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable, but are open to a wide range of uncertainties and business risks. In addition, these statements may be based on standards for measuring progress that are still developing, controls and processes that continue to evolve, and assumptions that are subject to change in the future. Consequently, actual results may vary materially from what is contained in a forward-looking statement. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Ultragenyx in general, see Ultragenyx's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 15, 2022 and its subsequent periodic reports filed with the SEC. Forward-looking statements are aspirational and are not guarantees or promises that goals or targets will be met. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking or other statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, and notwithstanding any historical practice of doing so. The Company may determine to adjust any goals and targets or establish new ones to reflect changes in our business. In addition to its SEC filings, press releases and public conference calls, Ultragenyx uses its investor relations website and social media outlets to publish important information about the company, including information that may be deemed material to investors, and to comply with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Financial and other information about Ultragenyx is routinely posted and is accessible on Ultragenyx’s investor relations website (https://ir.ultragenyx.com/) and LinkedIn website (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ultragenyx-pharmaceutical-inc-/).

Contacts
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
Investors
Josh Higa
ir@ultragenyx.com

Media
Jeff Blake
Media@ultragenyx.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5ad31bbb-c734-4608-b3b1-ff165a779ee7