Intellia Therapeutics Names Muna Bhanji, R.Ph., to its Board of Directors

Rhea-AI Summary

Intellia Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NTLA) has appointed Muna Bhanji, R.Ph., to its board of directors, enhancing its leadership team as it advances its genome editing initiatives. With over 30 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, Bhanji brings valuable expertise in global commercialization and market access.

Her background includes senior roles at Merck & Co. and founding Tiba Global Access. This strategic appointment aims to bolster Intellia's efforts in developing CRISPR-based therapeutics for life-threatening diseases.

Positive

• Appointment of Muna Bhanji to the board adds expertise in global commercialization and market access.
• Bhanji's extensive experience in the biopharmaceutical industry could drive growth and innovation within Intellia.

Negative

• None.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTLA), a leading genome editing company focused on developing potentially curative therapeutics leveraging CRISPR-based technologies, today announced the appointment of Muna Bhanji, R.Ph., to its board of directors.

“We welcome Muna whose deep expertise in global commercialization and market access will be critical to Intellia as we expand our leadership position in the field of genome editing and move closer to commercializing potentially curative treatments for people with life-threatening diseases,” said Intellia President and Chief Executive Officer John Leonard, M.D. “We are very fortunate to benefit from Muna’s extensive experience navigating U.S. and global healthcare systems to improve patient access to innovative medicines. We are thrilled with her joining our board and look forward to her many contributions to our future success.”

Ms. Bhanji brings more than 30 years of strategic and operational experience in the biopharmaceutical industry to Intellia’s board, including a proven track record of driving growth across a broad portfolio of medicines and vaccines. She built her career at Merck & Co., where she held several senior leadership roles within U.S. based sales, marketing, managed markets and commercial operations, global franchise business units, and global market access and policy. She is the founder and president of Tiba Global Access, a commercialization and market access strategy consultancy serving the biopharmaceutical industry. Ms. Bhanji serves on the board of directors for several companies, including Cytokinetics (NASDAQ: CYTK), Ardelyx, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARDX) and Veracyte, Inc. (NASDAQ: VCYT). She also is a member of the board of Corus International, an international humanitarian organization working at the intersection of poverty alleviation and healthcare. Ms. Bhanji earned her B.S. in Pharmacy from Rutgers School of Pharmacy and an MBA from St. Joseph’s University.

About Intellia Therapeutics
Intellia Therapeutics, a leading clinical-stage genome editing company, is developing novel, potentially curative therapeutics leveraging CRISPR-based technologies. To fully realize the transformative potential of CRISPR-based technologies, Intellia is pursuing two primary approaches. The company’s in vivo programs use intravenously administered CRISPR as the therapy, in which proprietary delivery technology enables highly precise editing of disease-causing genes directly within specific target tissues. Intellia’s ex vivo programs use CRISPR to create the therapy by using engineered human cells to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases. Intellia’s deep scientific, technical and clinical development experience, along with its robust intellectual property portfolio, have enabled the company to take a leadership role in harnessing the full potential of genome editing to create new classes of genetic medicine. Learn more at intelliatx.com. Follow us on Twitter @intelliatx.

Intellia Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” of Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (“Intellia”, “we” or “our”) within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, express or implied statements regarding Intellia’s beliefs and expectations regarding the safety, efficacy and advancement of our clinical programs and the anticipated contribution of the members of our board of directors, specifically Ms. Muna Bhanji, and our executives to our operations and progress.

Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs of future events, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: risks related to our ability to protect and maintain our intellectual property position; risks related to our relationship with third parties, including our licensors and licensees; risks related to the ability of our licensors to protect and maintain their intellectual property position; uncertainties related to regulatory agencies’ evaluation of regulatory filings and other information related to our product candidates; uncertainties related to the authorization, initiation and conduct of studies and other development requirements for our product candidates; the risk that any one or more of our product candidates, including those that are co-developed, will not be successfully developed and commercialized; the risk that the results of preclinical studies or clinical studies will not be predictive of future results in connection with future studies; and the risk that our collaborations with Regeneron or our other collaborations will not continue or will not be successful. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause Intellia’s actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Intellia’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in Intellia’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Intellia undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.

Intellia Contacts

Investors:
Ian Karp
Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
+1-857-449-4175
ian.karp@intelliatx.com

Lina Li
Director, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
+1-857-706-1612
lina.li@intelliatx.com

Media:
Matt Crenson
Ten Bridge Communications
+1-917-640-7930
media@intelliatx.com
mcrenson@tenbridgecommunications.com

FAQ

Who is Muna Bhanji and what is her role at Intellia Therapeutics?

Muna Bhanji is a newly appointed board member at Intellia Therapeutics, bringing over 30 years of experience in global commercialization and market access in the biopharmaceutical sector.

What impact does Muna Bhanji's appointment have on Intellia's strategy?

Her appointment is expected to enhance Intellia's leadership and support its ongoing efforts to commercialize CRISPR-based therapeutics for life-threatening diseases.

What experience does Muna Bhanji bring to Intellia Therapeutics?

Bhanji has extensive experience from her previous roles at Merck & Co. and as founder of Tiba Global Access, focusing on commercialization strategies in the biopharmaceutical industry.

What is the significance of the board change for Intellia Therapeutics?

The board change is significant as it strengthens Intellia's capabilities in navigating healthcare systems, which is crucial as the company aims to expand its market presence.