Editas Medicine Appoints Lisa A. Michaels, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer
Editas Medicine has appointed Lisa A. Michaels, M.D. as its new Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Michaels brings over 25 years of experience in clinical research and drug development from her previous role at Bayer Pharmaceuticals. She will oversee clinical research and drug development for Editas' pipeline, notably focusing on EDIT-301 for sickle cell disease. The company recently reacquired rights to its ocular pipeline, enhancing its position in the genome editing landscape.
- Appointment of Dr. Lisa A. Michaels, expected to enhance clinical research and drug development.
- Reacquisition of rights to the ocular pipeline, boosting potential product offerings.
- Strong experience of Dr. Michaels in drug development may positively influence product advancement.
- Potential concerns about continuity and leadership transitions affecting company momentum.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Editas Medicine, Inc. (Nasdaq: EDIT), a leading genome editing company, today announced that it named Lisa A. Michaels, M.D., as the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, effective immediately. Dr. Michaels will lead clinical research and drug development for the Company’s pipeline of experimental medicines.
“We are thrilled to have Lisa join our team, bringing her ability to translate concepts from ‘bench to bedside’, with proven results in design and execution of multinational clinical trials,” said Cynthia Collins, President and Chief Executive Officer, Editas Medicine. “Her corporate and academic drug development expertise will be instrumental in advancing our mission to develop and deliver transformative medicines to people living with serious diseases.”
Lisa Michaels, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Editas Medicine, commented, “Editas Medicine is a leader in the development of the next generation of medicines to treat diseases with few approved medicines. I am excited to join the team as we just reacquired the rights to our ocular pipeline and are on the cusp of bringing EDIT-301, our potentially best-in-class medicine for the treatment of sickle cell disease, to the clinic. I look forward to working with the team to advance the development of EDIT-101, EDIT-301, and EDIT-201 in the near term as well as additional medicines in the future to treat serious diseases with unmet medical needs.”
Dr. Michaels has more than 25 years of experience in clinical research and drug development in both industry and academia. Dr. Michaels joins Editas Medicine from Bayer Pharmaceuticals where she spent more than 10 years in drug development, leading teams from early research and drug discovery through regulatory approval, commercial launch, and life cycle management. Most recently, she served as head of Bayer’s Rare Diseases, Cell & Gene Therapy therapeutic area.
Earlier in her career, Dr. Michaels spent more than 15 years at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University in academic practice, working in areas including benign and malignant hematology, solid tumors, bone marrow failure syndromes, thrombosis and hemostasis, and immunologic disorders including cytopenias and immune deficiencies.
Dr. Michaels received her M.D. at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville during which she received additional training in translational research in autoimmune disease, immune deficiencies, and disorders of complement, at the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease in Washington, DC, and completed a preceptorship in pediatric cardiovascular care at Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Michaels completed her residency and qualification in pediatrics at Duke University and post-graduate fellowship and qualification in hematology and oncology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
About Editas Medicine
As a leading genome editing company, Editas Medicine is focused on translating the power and potential of the CRISPR/Cas9 and CRISPR/Cpf1 (also known as Cas12a) genome editing systems into a robust pipeline of treatments for people living with serious diseases around the world. Editas Medicine aims to discover, develop, manufacture, and commercialize transformative, durable, precision genomic medicines for a broad class of diseases. For the latest information and scientific presentations, please visit www.editasmedicine.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words ‘‘anticipate,’’ ‘‘believe,’’ ‘‘continue,’’ ‘‘could,’’ ‘‘estimate,’’ ‘‘expect,’’ ‘‘intend,’’ ‘‘may,’’ ‘‘plan,’’ ‘‘potential,’’ ‘‘predict,’’ ‘‘project,’’ ‘‘target,’’ ‘‘should,’’ ‘‘would,’’ and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding the Company’s plans for EDIT-101, EDIT-301, and EDIT-201. The Company may not actually achieve the plans, intentions, or expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on these fo
FAQ
What are the key responsibilities of Lisa A. Michaels as Chief Medical Officer at Editas Medicine?
What is the significance of the reacquired ocular pipeline for Editas Medicine?
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