CRISPR Therapeutics Announces Promotion of Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D. to Chief Executive Officer
October 02 2017 - 7:30AM
CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP), a biopharmaceutical company
focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines for
serious diseases, announced today that Dr. Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D.,
currently President of CRISPR Therapeutics, Inc., has been promoted
to the role of Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Kulkarni will assume
the role effective December 1, 2017. Dr. Rodger Novak, M.D.,
co-founder and current Chief Executive Officer of CRISPR
Therapeutics, is stepping down from his current role for personal
reasons but will continue to serve as a member of the Company’s
board of directors and as an officer of its Swiss parent company,
CRISPR AG.
“Leading CRISPR from inception into a global company with over
100 team members in just four years has been a rewarding experience
and a privilege. Today CRISPR is well positioned to file a clinical
trial application for its lead program in β-thalassemia by the end
of the year and begin clinical trials in 2018,” said Dr. Novak.
“Sam is an exceptional executive and has been instrumental in the
maturation of the company since joining us in 2015. Therefore, the
Board and I are confident in Sam’s ability to guide CRISPR through
the next phase of the company’s evolution.”
Dr. Kulkarni joined CRISPR Therapeutics in the company’s early
stages as Chief Business Officer and has taken on positions of
increasing responsibility, most recently serving as President of
CRISPR Therapeutics Inc. During his tenure, both as President and
Chief Business Officer, Dr. Kulkarni played a leading role in the
establishment of its key collaborations with Vertex and Bayer,
financing the company’s operations through its IPO, and overseeing
U.S. operations.
"CRISPR Therapeutics has become the preeminent gene editing
company under Rodger’s outstanding direction. We thank him for this
leadership and look forward to his continued contributions with the
board," said Dr. N. Anthony Coles, Chairman of the CRISPR
Therapeutics Board of Directors. “After a deliberate and thoughtful
succession process, the board of directors believes that Sam has
the strategic vision and organizational acumen to drive the
Company’s long-term strategy. We congratulate Sam on this new role
and look forward to his future success.”
Dr. Rodger Novak will continue to serve on the board of
directors of both CRISPR as well as Casebia, CRISPR’s 50/50 joint
venture with Bayer AG, and will serve as President of CRISPR
Therapeutics AG, the Swiss parent company of the CRISPR group. Dr.
Novak has served as CRISPR Therapeutics’ CEO since its founding in
2013.
About CRISPR Therapeutics
CRISPR Therapeutics is a leading gene-editing company focused on
developing transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases
using its proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing platform.
CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary technology that allows for precise,
directed changes to genomic DNA. The company's multi-disciplinary
team of world-class researchers and drug developers is working to
translate this technology into breakthrough human therapeutics in a
number of serious diseases. Additionally, CRISPR Therapeutics has
established strategic collaborations with Bayer AG and Vertex
Pharmaceuticals to develop CRISPR-based therapeutics in diseases
with high unmet need. The foundational CRISPR/Cas9 patent estate
for human therapeutic use was licensed from the company's
scientific founder Emmanuelle Charpentier, Ph.D. CRISPR
Therapeutics AG is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, with its
wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, CRISPR Therapeutics, Inc., and
R&D operations based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more
information, please visit http://www.crisprtx.com.
CRISPR Forward-Looking Statement
Certain statements set forth in this press release constitute
“forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including,
but not limited to, statements concerning: the therapeutic value,
development and the commercial potential of CRISPR/Cas9 gene
editing technologies. You are cautioned that forward-looking
statements are inherently uncertain. Although the company believes
that such statements are based on reasonable assumptions within the
bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, the
forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and
they are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and
risk. Actual performance and results may differ materially from
those projected or suggested in the forward-looking statements due
to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties
include, among others: uncertainties inherent in the initiation and
conduct of preclinical and clinical studies for the company’s
product candidates; availability and timing of results from
preclinical and clinical studies; whether results from a
preclinical study or clinical trial will be predictive of future
results in connection with future trials or use; expectations for
regulatory approvals to conduct trials or to market products; our
ability to obtain and maintain proprietary intellectual property
protection on key products and technologies; uncertainties
regarding actual or potential legal proceedings and those risks and
uncertainties described in Item 1A under the heading “Risk Factors”
in the company’s annual report on Form 10-K, and in any other
subsequent filings made by the company with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available on the SEC’s website
at https://www.sec.gov. Existing and prospective investors are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. The
information contained in this press release is provided by the
company as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, the
company disclaims any intention or responsibility for updating or
revising any forward-looking information contained in this press
release.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jennifer PaganelliWCG for
CRISPR347-658-8290jpaganelli@wcgworld.com
INVESTOR CONTACT:
Chris BrinzeyWestwicke Partners for
CRISPR339-970-2843chris.brinzey@westwicke.com
CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2024 to May 2024
CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2023 to May 2024