Editas Medicine Names Mark S. Shearman, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Editas Medicine, Inc. (Nasdaq: EDIT), a leading genome editing company, today announced that it named Mark S. Shearman, Ph.D., as the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Shearman will join Editas Medicine in June 2021, and will lead drug discovery, research, and development for the Company’s pipeline of experimental medicines.

“We are delighted to have Mark join our team in June. Mark has an outstanding track record of drug discovery and development and leading high performing teams. Specifically, during his career, he has led discovery programs across multiple modalities, including ophthalmology, immunology, and neurology – key areas of focus for Editas,” said James C. Mullen, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Editas Medicine. “We are confident Mark’s leadership and expertise will help us achieve our pipeline milestones and continue to realize the promise of bringing many transformative gene editing medicines to patients.”

“Editas Medicine is building an impressive pipeline of a new class of novel gene editing medicines to treat previously untreatable diseases. I am excited to join the Company and work with the exceptional executive and research teams to develop the current pipeline and to discover and develop additional new medicines to help people living with serious diseases,” said Dr. Shearman.

Dr. Shearman has more than 30 years of experience in drug discovery and development across multiple therapeutic modalities. Dr. Shearman will join Editas Medicine from Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (AGTC), where he is currently serving as Chief Scientific Officer and is responsible for leading the company's product candidate selection process, pre-clinical and translational research, and long-term research and development planning. Prior to AGTC, Dr. Shearman served as Senior Vice President of Research & Early Development at EMD Serono, Inc., the U.S. and Canadian subsidiary of Merck KGaA. Previously, Dr. Shearman was Executive Director of Merck & Co. Research Laboratories, Boston, and Senior Director at the Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories Neuroscience Research Centre in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Shearman earned a B.Sc. from the University of Bristol, U.K., and a Ph.D. from the University of Nottingham, U.K. He also conducted academic research at institutes in Japan and Germany.

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/Cas12a (also known as Cpf1) 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. 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 forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including: uncertainties inherent in the initiation and completion of preclinical studies and clinical trials and clinical development of the Company’s product candidates; availability and timing of results from preclinical studies and clinical trials; whether interim results from a clinical trial will be predictive of the final results of the trial or the results of future trials; expectations for regulatory approvals to conduct trials or to market products and availability of funding sufficient for the Company’s foreseeable and unforeseeable operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements. These and other risks are described in greater detail under the caption “Risk Factors” included in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and in other filings that the Company may make with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the future. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/907ecc58-1982-4501-ba4b-22113f4d1377

Contacts:
Media
Cristi Barnett
(617) 401-0113
cristi.barnett@editasmed.com

Investors
Ron Moldaver
(617) 401-9052
ir@editasmed.com