Beam Therapeutics Appoints Gopi Shanker, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer
March 21 2023 - 6:30AM
Beam Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: BEAM), a biotechnology company
developing precision genetic medicines through base editing, today
announced that Gopi Shanker, Ph.D., has been appointed as chief
scientific officer (CSO). Dr. Shanker is a scientific leader with
more than 20 years of drug development experience as well as
experience with novel genetic medicine modalities. Dr. Shanker will
report to Giuseppe Ciaramella, Ph.D., president of Beam, who has
broad oversight of Beam’s research, manufacturing, regulatory,
quality and pharmaceutical sciences organizations.
“We are thrilled to welcome Gopi to the Beam team during this
exciting time as we advance our diverse clinical and earlier-stage
pipeline of base editing programs,” said Dr. Ciaramella. “Base
editing has the potential to change the treatment course for a
number of patients in need, and as we progress our programs, we
continue to learn and further understand the breadth of
possibilities. Gopi’s extensive background of leading drug
discovery and development efforts, including in the area of gene
therapy, is impressive, and we look forward to applying that
expertise to our current and future programs.”
“The gene editing field has been of great interest to me for
many years, and I’m pleased to join the Beam team, true leaders and
pioneers in the space,” said Dr. Shanker. “Base editing is a highly
flexible tool designed for efficient and precise modification of
the genome without creating double-stranded DNA breaks, making it a
compelling technology that I’m eager to further explore with this
expert team. A key focus for me and my team will be progressing our
base editing platform and evaluating potential new programs across
each of our strategic pillars of hematology, immunology/oncology
and genetic diseases.”
Dr. Shanker has an extensive background across all stages of
drug development as well as multiple drug modalities, including
small molecules, biologics and gene therapies for both common and
rare disorders. He joins Beam from Tevard Biosciences, where he
served as CSO. Prior to Tevard, he spent eight years at the
Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, where he most recently
served as head of neuroscience. In this role, he was responsible
for strategic oversight of the entire neuroscience portfolio, which
included developing a portfolio of gene therapy programs targeting
neurodevelopmental disorders. During his tenure at Novartis, Dr.
Shanker advanced multiple new therapeutic programs through late
preclinical and clinical development, including the global
regulatory approval of Aimovig®. He was also instrumental in
several key partnerships, including with the Stanley Center (Broad
Institute), Amgen, Sangamo, as well as the acquisition of Cadent
Therapeutics. Prior to joining Novartis, Dr. Shanker led several
drug discovery programs at Amgen and Regeneron. He completed his
Howard Hughes Medical Institute postdoctoral fellowship at the
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York and earned his
Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.
About Beam TherapeuticsBeam Therapeutics
(Nasdaq: BEAM) is a biotechnology company committed to establishing
the leading, fully integrated platform for precision genetic
medicines. To achieve this vision, Beam has assembled a platform
that includes a suite of gene editing and delivery technologies and
is in the process of building internal manufacturing capabilities.
Beam’s suite of gene editing technologies is anchored by base
editing, a proprietary technology that is designed to enable
precise, predictable and efficient single base changes, at targeted
genomic sequences, without making double-stranded breaks in the
DNA. This has the potential to enable a wide range of potential
therapeutic editing strategies that Beam is using to advance a
diversified portfolio of base editing programs. Beam is a
values-driven organization committed to its people, cutting-edge
science, and a vision of providing life-long cures to patients
suffering from serious diseases.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking
StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements, including, but not
limited to, statements related to: the therapeutic applications and
potential of our technology; our plans, and anticipated timing, to
advance our programs; and our ability to develop life-long,
curative, precision genetic medicines for patients through base
editing. Each forward-looking statement is subject to important
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those expressed or implied in such statement,
including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties related to:
our ability to develop, obtain regulatory approval for, and
commercialize our product candidates, which may take longer or cost
more than planned; our ability to raise additional funding, which
may not be available; our ability to obtain, maintain and enforce
patent and other intellectual property protection for our product
candidates; the potential impact of pandemics and other health
emergencies, including their impact on the global supply chain; the
uncertainty that our product candidates will receive regulatory
approval necessary to initiate human clinical studies; that
preclinical testing of our product candidates and preliminary or
interim data from preclinical studies and clinical trials may not
be predictive of the results or success of ongoing or later
clinical trials; that enrollment and initiation of our clinical
trials may take longer than expected; that our product candidates
may experience manufacturing or supply interruptions or failures;
risks related to competitive products; and the other risks and
uncertainties identified under the headings “Risk Factors Summary”
and “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2022, and in any subsequent filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking
statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Factors
or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge
from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of
them. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking
statement, whether as a result of new information, future
developments or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable
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release.
Contacts:
Investors:Chelcie ListerTHRUST Strategic
Communicationschelcie@thrustsc.com
Media:Dan Budwick1ABdan@1abmedia.com
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