Royalty Pharma lead independent director Fernandez steps down

NEW YORK - Royalty Pharma plc (NASDAQ:RPRX) announced Wednesday that Henry Fernandez has stepped down from his position as Lead Independent Director on the company’s Board of Directors, effective immediately. The company, currently valued at $21.2 billion, has shown strong performance with a 42% gain year-to-date, trading near its 52-week high of $38.

Fernandez, who joined Royalty Pharma’s board in July 2020 and was appointed Lead Independent Director in March 2021, has served in these roles for approximately five years.

Pablo Legorreta, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Royalty Pharma, acknowledged Fernandez’s contributions to the company during its initial years as a public company, noting his experience as a public company executive and his business expertise.

"His experience as a seasoned chief executive of a public company together with his exceptional business acumen has been invaluable to Royalty Pharma during our first years as a public company," Legorreta said in a statement.

Fernandez, in his departure statement, expressed confidence in the company’s future, citing its execution of strategy since its 2020 IPO.

Royalty Pharma indicated it plans to name a new Lead Independent Director soon.

The company, founded in 1996, describes itself as the largest buyer of biopharmaceutical royalties and maintains a portfolio of royalties on more than 35 commercial products and 16 development-stage product candidates.

This information is based on a press release statement from Royalty Pharma.

In other recent news, Royalty Pharma reported a robust performance in the second quarter of 2025, with portfolio receipts totaling $727 million. This figure surpassed both BofA Securities’ and consensus estimates by 7% and 6%, respectively. The strong results were attributed to better-than-expected outcomes from mature products and new launches like Rytelo and Skytrofa. BofA Securities responded to these results by raising its price target for Royalty Pharma to $48 from $42, while maintaining a Buy rating. The earnings call for the quarter also highlighted strategic collaborations and offered a promising outlook for the remainder of the year. These developments reflect positive investor sentiment, despite a minor earnings miss. The company’s strategic moves and financial metrics were underscored during the earnings call, suggesting continued growth.

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