Emil Kakkis

Founder, Chief Executive Officer and President, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
,United States
Find Emil Kakkis's Email
Find Emil Kakkis's Phone

Who Is Emil Kakkis?

Total Experience61 years
CompanyUltragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
CountryUnited States

Dr. Emil D. Kakkis is a distinguished physician-scientist and a leading figure in the development of treatments for rare and ultra-rare diseases. He is the founder, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, a company he established in 2010 with a mission to deliver novel therapies to patients with debilitating genetic conditions. With a combined M.D. and Ph.D. from the UCLA School of Medicine, his career is defined by a deep commitment to translating scientific breakthroughs into life-changing medicines. Prior to founding Ultragenyx, he was a key leader at BioMarin Pharmaceutical, where he pioneered the development of enzyme replacement therapies, including the first approved treatment for MPS I. Dr. Kakkis is also a prominent advocate for policy reform to support and accelerate the drug development process for rare diseases.

Emil Kakkis LinkedIn pageCompany Website

How Did Emil Kakkis's Career Path Shape Their Journey?

Emil Kakkis's work history includes a series of influential roles in various companies. Here is a detailed list of his professional journey:

Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. - Founder, Chief Executive Officer and President(2010 to Present)
Actio Biosciences, Inc. - Board Member(2024 to Present)
EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases - Board Member(2009 to 2023)
National Organization for Rare Disorders - Board Member(2009 to 2011)
BioMarin - Development Consultant(2009 to 2010)
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. - Chief Medical Officer(1998 to 2009)
Harbor-UCLA Research and Education Institute - Assistant Professor(1993 to 1998)
Harbor UCLA Med Center, Research and Education Institute - Assistant Professor(1993 to 1998)

What Are Emil Kakkis's Key Achievements?

Founder and CEO of Ultragenyx

Established Ultragenyx in 2010, building it into a leading biopharmaceutical company focused exclusively on developing and commercializing therapies for patients with rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases.

Pioneer in Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT)

Led the successful clinical development of Aldurazyme® (laronidase) for Mucopolysaccharidosis I (MPS I) during his tenure at BioMarin, creating a new standard of care for this severe metabolic disorder.

Development of Crysvita® (burosumab)

Oversaw the development and approval of Crysvita®, a breakthrough treatment for X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) and tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO), which fundamentally changed the treatment paradigm for these conditions.

Advocate for Rare Disease Legislation

Actively influences U.S. policy to accelerate the development of therapies for rare diseases, contributing expert testimony and insights that helped shape key legislation like the 21st Century Cures Act.

What's Emil Kakkis's Educational Background?

MD/PhD, biological chemistry

UCLA - Year 1982

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Biology

Pomona College - Year 1978

Degree Program

Wilson High School of Long Beach CA - Year 1975

Buying Intent Signals for Emil Kakkis

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right people at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance

Company Overview

Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
Total employees1489
HeadquartersNovato
Founded2010

Ultragenyx is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to developing and delivering novel therapies for patients with serious rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases. The company has a diverse portfolio of approved medicines and product candidates aimed at addressing diseases with high unmet medical needs, for which the biology and symptomatology are well-characterized.

Company Website
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. Stock Information
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., Inc. is listed on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol RARE. The company went public on January 31, 2014

Highperformr's free tools for company research

Find contact info

Get verified emails, phone numbers, and LinkedIn profile details

Find similar contacts

Discover contacts with similar roles, seniority, or companies

Perform deep contact research

Uncover insights like skills, work history, social links, and more

Discover, research and enrich contacts with Highperformr — Smarter, Faster

Explore contacts in-depth — from verified emails and phone numbers to LinkedIn activity, job changes, and more — all in one powerful view.

Highperformr AI helps you surface the right people and enrich your CRM with live, accurate contact insights so your teams can connect faster and close smarter.

  • Track signals like job change, promotion, and LinkedIn activity
  • Enrich contacts with verified email, phone, and social data instantly
  • Automate enrichment and updates with powerful workflows
  • Sync enriched contact info directly into your CRM and tools

Thousands of contacts — including decision-makers, influencers, and ICP matches — are just a search away.

Intent Signals

Buyer intent signals

CRM Enrichment

Contact Enrichment

Workflows and tasks

Workflows and tasks

Integrations

Integrations

Thousands of companies, including, are just a search away.