Codexis Appoints Cynthia Collins to Board of Directors

Rhea-AI Summary

Codexis (NASDAQ: CDXS) has appointed Cynthia Collins to its Board of Directors. Collins, currently serving as Executive Chair and interim CEO of Nutcracker Therapeutics, brings over four decades of pharmaceutical and biotech industry experience. She previously served as CEO of Editas Medicine, where she led the first clinical trial of in vivo CRISPR gene editing therapy.

Collins' extensive leadership experience includes roles as CEO of Human Longevity, various executive positions at GE Healthcare, CEO of GenVec, and president of oncology at Baxter Healthcare. She currently serves on multiple boards including Certara, MaxCyte, and DermTech. The appointment aims to support Codexis' expansion of their ECO Synthesis toolbox in the RNA therapeutics space.

Positive

• Appointment of highly experienced board member with 40+ years in pharma/biotech
• Strategic addition to support RNA therapeutics manufacturing expansion
• New director brings CDMO expertise and CRISPR technology experience
• Extensive network through multiple board positions in biotech sector

Negative

• None.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Codexis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDXS), a leading provider of enzymatic solutions for efficient and scalable therapeutics manufacturing, today announced the appointment of Cynthia Collins to the Company’s Board of Directors.

“I am thrilled to welcome Cindy to our Board,” said Stephen Dilly, MBBS, PhD, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Codexis. “She has been at the forefront of innovation across multiple therapeutic modalities and brings a wealth of knowledge about the CDMO landscape. I look forward to her valuable guidance as we continue expanding the commercial footprint of our ECO Synthesis toolbox.”

Ms. Collins added, “We have only scratched the surface of what is possible with RNA-based therapeutics, and Codexis’ exciting technology is positioned to unlock the promise of this growing field. I have been impressed with the Company’s progress to date and am delighted to join the Board as we approach multiple exciting milestones in 2025 and beyond.”

Cynthia Collins is a recognized leader with more than four decades of experience working in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. She currently serves as Executive Chair and interim CEO of Nutcracker Therapeutics, a contract, research, development and manufacturing organization with a next generation RNA precision manufacturing platform. Previously, she was the CEO of Editas Medicine, a premier CRISPR company where she oversaw the first clinical trial administration of an in vivo CRISPR gene editing therapy. Her other notable roles include CEO of Human Longevity, CEO and general manager of various life science businesses at GE Healthcare, CEO of GenVec, group vice president at Beckman Coulter, CEO of Sequoia Pharmaceuticals, and president of oncology at Baxter Healthcare. Ms. Collins also currently serves as a board member at Certara, MaxCyte, DermTech, Alanis Therapeutics, Draper Laboratories, and Foundation for mRNA Medicines. She holds a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

About Codexis

Codexis is a leading provider of enzymatic solutions for efficient and scalable therapeutics manufacturing, leveraging its proprietary CodeEvolver® technology platform to discover, develop and enhance novel, high-performance enzymes. Codexis enzymes solve for real-world challenges associated with small molecule pharmaceuticals manufacturing and nucleic acid synthesis. The Company is currently developing its proprietary ECO Synthesis™ manufacturing platform to enable the scaled manufacture of RNAi therapeutics through an enzymatic route. Codexis’ unique enzymes can drive improvements such as higher yields, reduced energy usage and waste generation, improved efficiency in manufacturing and greater sensitivity in genomic and diagnostic applications. For more information, visit https://www.codexis.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “design,” “due,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “predict,” “seek,” “should,” “suggest,” “target,” “on track,” “will,” “would” and other similar expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events and future trends, or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. To the extent that statements contained in this press release are not descriptions of historical facts, they are forward-looking statements reflecting the current beliefs and expectations of management, including but not limited to statements regarding the potential of the ECO Synthesis™ platform, and it providing an opportunity for Codexis to efficiently capture meaningful market share; expectations regarding Codexis meeting its technical and commercial milestones regarding the ECO Synthesis™ platform; and expectations regarding the potential of and future demand for RNAi therapeutics, and whether Codexis will be able to capitalize on such demand. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are, in some cases, beyond Codexis’ control and that could materially affect actual results. Factors that could materially affect actual results include, among others: Codexis’ dependence on its licensees and collaborators; if any of its collaborators terminate their development programs under their respective license agreements with Codexis; Codexis may need additional capital in the future in order to expand its business; if Codexis is unable to successfully develop and commercialize new technology such as its ECO Synthesis™ platform and its dsRNA ligase; Codexis dependence on a limited number of products and customers, and potential adverse effects to Codexis’ business if its customers’ products are not received well in the markets; if competitors and potential competitors who have greater resources and experience than Codexis develop products and technologies that make Codexis’ products and technologies obsolete; if Codexis is unable to accurately forecast financial and operational performance; and market and economic conditions may negatively impact Codexis business, financial condition and share price. Additional information about factors that could materially affect actual results can be found in Codexis’ Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 27, 2025 and in Codexis’ Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on October 31, 2024, including under the caption “Risk Factors,” and in Codexis’ other periodic reports filed with the SEC. Codexis expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

For More Information

Investor Contact
Carrie McKim
(336) 608-9706
ir@codexis.com

FAQ

What experience does Cynthia Collins bring to the Codexis (CDXS) board?

Cynthia Collins brings over 40 years of pharmaceutical and biotech experience, including leadership roles at Nutcracker Therapeutics, Editas Medicine, Human Longevity, and GE Healthcare.

How will Cynthia Collins' appointment impact Codexis' (CDXS) RNA therapeutics strategy?

Collins' expertise is expected to guide Codexis' expansion of their ECO Synthesis toolbox and strengthen their position in the RNA therapeutics manufacturing field.

What are Cynthia Collins' current roles besides joining Codexis (CDXS)?

She currently serves as Executive Chair and interim CEO of Nutcracker Therapeutics and holds board positions at Certara, MaxCyte, DermTech, Alanis Therapeutics, and others.

What significant achievement did Collins oversee at Editas Medicine before joining CDXS?

At Editas Medicine, Collins oversaw the first clinical trial administration of an in vivo CRISPR gene editing therapy.