Ironwood Pharmaceuticals announced a major leadership transition today. The company appointed current Chief Commercial Officer Tammi Gaskins as Chief Executive Officer. Furthermore, she will join the Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2027.
On that same date, current Chief Executive Officer Tom McCourt will retire from his executive position. However, McCourt will maintain his position as a member of the Board of Directors.
Board members selected Gaskins because she is a proven leader with deep business expertise. Additionally, she holds an extensive understanding of corporate culture and late-stage pipeline development. This year, Gaskins led commercial efforts that restored LINZESS to blockbuster status and strong revenue growth. Consequently, she is uniquely positioned to lead Ironwood through its next corporate growth phase.
Gaskins joined the commercial leadership team at Ironwood in 2020. Since then, she has established LINZESS as the top prescribed brand for irritable bowel syndrome with constipation. Moreover, she directed commercial strategy for apraglutide, a weekly GLP-2 analog currently in Phase 3 clinical trials. Before joining Ironwood, Gaskins built commercial experience during a 20-year career at AstraZeneca.
“The Board of Directors selected Tammi Gaskins to be Ironwood’s next CEO because she is a proven leader with a deep understanding of the business, culture and late-stage pipeline. Tammi was instrumental in driving the turnaround of LINZESS® this year, returning it to blockbuster status and growth. She is uniquely positioned to build upon the strong momentum Ironwood has delivered so far in 2026, and to lead the company through its next phase of growth,” said Julie McHugh, Chair of the Ironwood Board of Directors.
Executives expressed strong confidence in the upcoming leadership transition and commercial pipeline.
“It is an honor to be named Ironwood’s next CEO, and I would like to thank Tom and the Board of Directors for their leadership and support,” said Gaskins. “I am excited to continue working with our talented team to bring innovation to patients living with GI and rare diseases. This has been a turnaround year for Ironwood as we have worked to maximize the value of LINZESS and strengthen our balance sheet while advancing the confirmatory STARS-2 clinical trial of apraglutide in SBS-IF. With each step we are shaping Ironwood for the future, working to bring treatment advancements to patients and creating value for shareholders. I look forward to helping Ironwood continue to grow as we extend this momentum into 2027 and beyond.”
“The Board would like to thank Tom for his steady leadership over the last 17 years. From the first approval and launch of LINZESS to the acquisition of VectivBio and progress of the apraglutide program, Tom has made an indelible mark on Ironwood. We wish him well in his retirement and look forward to continuing our collaboration with him on the Board,” said McHugh.
Retiring CEO Tom McCourt joined Ironwood seventeen years ago as its first Chief Commercial Officer. He built the commercial infrastructure from the ground up and created key commercial partnerships.
After becoming CEO in 2021, McCourt led the strategic acquisition of VectivBio to expand the pipeline.
“Working with Tammi closely for several years, I’ve seen first-hand the impact of her business acumen, her passion for Ironwood’s culture and, most importantly, her relentless commitment to bringing better GI medicines to patients. I have every confidence that she will be a strong successor to lead Ironwood into the future,” said McCourt. “I’m grateful for the honor of leading this company, for all of the Ironwood colleagues who shared this journey with me, and for the differences in patients’ lives we have made by working together.”
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Source: Businesswire
