ICON appoints new Chief Medical Officer

Dublin, Ireland, 05 May 2020 – ICON plc, (NASDAQ: ICLR) a leading global provider of drug and device development and commercialisation services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, today announced that Dr Kristen Buck has been appointed Chief Medical Officer.

Kristen joins ICON from Optum Insights (part of the United Healthcare group) where she was SVP & Chief of Clinical Development. Kristen led the clinical operations and regulatory groups to create a Real-World Evidence and Outcomes clinical trial business. Her experience ranges over multiple therapy areas including GI, neuroscience, dermatology, ophthalmology, oncology, cardiovascular/metabolic, immunology, renal, women’s health, orphan diseases, liver, and psychiatry.

Kristen is a board certified and licenced physician from the Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine, and completed her Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at Abington Memorial Hospital, before working as a primary care practitioner in a private practice. From there Kristen moved to the FDA in the GI and Hematology division, where she was responsible for reviewing efficacy and safety for all new indications, as well as post-marketing safety for over 40 drugs. Kristen spent time working at AstraZeneca in clinical development and in its Innovative Medicines group.

“We are delighted to appoint Dr Kristen Buck as our new Chief Medical Officer,” said Steve Cutler, ICON’s Chief Executive Officer. “Kristen’s appointment will improve coordination and access to the significant medical and scientific resources and expertise we have at ICON. We will focus this expertise on helping our customers negotiate challenges, as we constantly strive to improve our services and respond to the latest issues and developments in science and medicine.

“I’m excited to be leading ICON’s position on clinical development trends, and reviewing and advising on our medical risks as the world wrestles with the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Dr Kristen Buck. “Patient centricity is ever more important in the current climate and I look forward to working with the wider ICON team to broaden our insights and expand our expertise.”

ICON plc is a global provider of drug and device development and commercialisation services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and government and public health organisations. The company specialises in the strategic development, management and analysis of programs that support clinical development - from compound selection to Phase I-IV clinical studies. With headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, ICON currently operates from 98 locations in 40 countries and has approximately 15,100 employees as of March 31, 2020. Further information is available at www.iconplc.com.

Gareth Arnold
Weber Shandwick
+44 (0)7870 516043
garnold@webershandwick.com

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's current expectations and information currently available, including current economic and industry conditions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or actual results, and actual results, developments and business decisions may differ from those stated in this press release. The forward-looking statements are subject to future events, risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the statements, including, but not limited to, the ability to enter into new contracts, maintain client relationships, manage the opening of new offices and offering of new services, the integration of new business mergers and acquisitions, as well as economic and global market conditions and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in SEC reports filed by ICON, all of which are difficult to predict and some of which are beyond our control. For these reasons, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements when making investment decisions. The word "expected" and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are only as of the date they are made and we do not undertake any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, either as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. More information about the risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements may be found in SEC reports filed by ICON, including its Form 20-F, F-1, S-8 and F-3, which are available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.