Laura A. Williams, M.D., MPH, Appointed as Chief Patient Officer at Ardelyx

Dr. Williams's appointment reinforces Ardelyx's commitment to ensure patient and caregiver voices are represented and integrated into all aspects of the organization

WALTHAM, Mass., April 9, 2025 - Ardelyx, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARDX), a biopharmaceutical company founded with a mission to discover, develop and commercialize innovative, first-in-class medicines that meet significant unmet medical needs, today announced the appointment of Laura A. Williams, M.D., MPH, as Chief Patient Officer, effective immediately. In her new role, Dr. Williams is responsible for championing patient-centricity and amplifying the patient voice both within the organization and with external stakeholders.

The creation of the Chief Patient Officer role, and Dr. Williams's appointment, further underscores the company's commitment to working closely with patients and caregivers to set new standards in partnering with patients and advocates, product innovation and community engagement.

"Commitment to the patient community is imbedded in Ardelyx's history and has been a major part of our success. We have continually recognized and demonstrated that decisions made in the best interests of patients are not only the right thing to do, but are also in the best interest of our business," said Mike Raab, president and chief executive officer, Ardelyx. "Creating the role of Chief Patient Officer at Ardelyx is a natural evolution of that commitment and clear signal that we intend to further embed the patient perspective into our organization. There is no better leader to take on this new role than Dr. Laura Williams. Laura has been my trusted partner for the past four years, consistently ensuring that the patient is at the center of our decision-making. In this new role, I know that Laura will continue to redefine how a company can truly embrace patient centricity."

"As a physician and patient, I know first-hand how important it is for patients to have an advocate to ensure their voice is heard when important decisions are being made and to have a platform to share their stories," said Dr. Williams. "I am very excited about the opportunity to establish and create the Chief Patient Office at Ardelyx, which builds on the strong legacy and foundation of patient advocacy that already exists, to ensure that patient perspectives are at the forefront of everything we do, permeating throughout every function. My key areas of focus are to strengthen and centralize our engagement programs; to expand patient access to treatments; to elevate the industry's diversity standards for clinical trials; and to shape policies that inform and improve patient care. The patients are waiting, and we want them to know that Ardelyx is here to support them at every stage of their journey."

Dr. Williams has served as Ardelyx's Chief Medical Officer (CMO) since 2021, having joined the organization in November 2020 as Senior Vice President, Global Therapeutic Strategies and Patient Advocacy. With nearly 30 years of pharmaceutical drug development experience, across all clinical development phases and multiple therapeutic areas, Dr. Williams has a proven track-record in drug development, as indicated by her leadership and major contributions toward eight drug approvals. Dr. Williams earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Mississippi State University, a Doctor of Medicine degree from University of Iowa, and a Master of Public Health degree in epidemiology from University of Washington, where she also completed a clinical fellowship in infectious diseases. Dr. Willaims completed her Internal Medicine residency at University of Michigan, where she also served as Chief Medical Resident and Junior Faculty.

Dr. Williams will continue to serve as Ardelyx's CMO until a new CMO is appointed. Ardelyx is actively engaged in the search for a new Chief Medical Officer.

About Ardelyx
Ardelyx was founded with a mission to discover, develop and commercialize innovative, first-in-class medicines that meet significant unmet medical needs. Ardelyx has two commercial products approved in the United States, IBSRELA^® (tenapanor) and XPHOZAH^® (tenapanor). Ardelyx has agreements for the development and commercialization of tenapanor outside of the U.S. Kyowa Kirin commercializes PHOZEVEL^® (tenapanor) for hyperphosphatemia in Japan. A New Drug Application for tenapanor for hyperphosphatemia has been approved in China with Fosun Pharma. Knight Therapeutics commercializes IBSRELA in Canada. For more information, please visit https://ardelyx.com/ and connect with us on X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn and Facebook.

Investor and Media Contact:
Caitlin Lowie
[email protected]