United Therapeutics Appoints Victor Dzau, Pioneer of ACE Inhibitor Research, to Board of Directors
Key Insights
United Therapeutics Corporation appointed Victor Dzau, M.D., to its Board of Directors on July 22, 2026, bringing a globally recognized physician-scientist to its governance team.
Dr. Dzau recently completed a 12-year tenure as President of the National Academy of Medicine and previously held leadership roles at Duke, Harvard, and Stanford Universities.
His foundational research led to the development of ACE inhibitors (search), and he pioneered gene therapy for vascular disease while currently studying cardiac regeneration.
United Therapeutics Corporation (Nasdaq: UTHR), a public benefit corporation, announced on July 23, 2026, that its Board of Directors appointed Victor Dzau, M.D., to its Board on July 22, 2026. The appointment adds a physician-scientist of international renown to the company's governance as it pursues its mission of developing transplantable organs and organ alternatives for patients suffering from end-stage organ failure (search).
Dr. Dzau recently completed a 12-year tenure as President of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), a term that expired at the end of June 2026. In July 2026, he returned to Duke University as James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Chancellor Emeritus for Health Affairs, and Director of the Mandel Center. He also serves as Co-Chair of the G20 High-Level Independent Panel on Financing Pandemic Preparedness and Response.
A Distinguished Career Spanning Academia and Biomedical Research
Dr. Dzau's career includes leadership positions at some of the nation's most prestigious academic medical institutions. He formerly served as Chancellor for Health Affairs at Duke University, President and CEO of the Duke University Health System, and Chairman of Medicine at both Harvard and Stanford Universities.
His research contributions have had a lasting impact on cardiovascular medicine. Dr. Dzau's foundational work laid the groundwork for the development of ACE inhibitors (search), a class of lifesaving drugs widely used to treat hypertension and heart failure. He also pioneered gene therapy approaches for vascular disease and is currently engaged in research on cardiac regeneration.
Strategic Alignment with United Therapeutics' Mission
"Dr. Dzau is a visionary healthcare leader, with a storied career both nationally and internationally. I am honored he has joined our Board, and believe he is uniquely capable of guiding United Therapeutics in our public benefit mission of developing transplantable organs and organ alternatives for patients suffering from many forms of end-stage organ failure (search)," said Martine Rothblatt, Ph.D., Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of United Therapeutics.
Dr. Dzau expressed enthusiasm for the appointment, stating: "I have admired United Therapeutics' mission and progress over its 30-year history, and am thrilled to join its Board of Directors at one of the company's most exciting moments. I look forward to supporting United Therapeutics as it pursues groundbreaking treatments for rare diseases and the bold mission of pioneering biomedical and bioengineering breakthroughs to help address the severe shortage of transplantable organs."
Board Refreshment and Governance
Christopher Causey, Chairperson of the Nominating and Governance Committee of United Therapeutics' Board of Directors, noted that Dr. Dzau's addition represents "the latest step in our concerted Board refreshment effort, as we work to provide oversight and support of a company working on transforming patient care."
United Therapeutics was founded by CEO Martine Rothblatt to discover a cure for her daughter's life-threatening rare disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension (search). The company has since expanded its focus to transforming the treatment of rare diseases and pioneering alternatives to expand the supply of transplantable organs, including the development of manufactured organs.