Editas Medicine Names Jessica Hopfield, Ph.D., to Board of Directors


CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Editas Medicine, Inc. (NASDAQ:EDIT), a leading genome editing company, today announced the appointment of Jessica Hopfield, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Dr. Hopfield will also serve on the Audit Committee of the Board.

Dr. Hopfield is a scientist and business leader with more than two decades of experience in the medical and healthcare fields. She is currently the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Joslin Diabetes Center and serves as Lead Independent Director on the Board of Directors of Insulet Corporation. In addition, she is a strategic advisor and investor in start-up healthcare firms, including serving as a strategic advisor to and former independent director of rEVO Biologics. Dr. Hopfield is a former Partner of McKinsey & Company in its global pharmaceuticals and medical devices practice, where she led work in strategy, R&D management, and marketing across pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device and consumer industries. Dr. Hopfield also held management positions at Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. in clinical development, outcomes research, and marketing.

“With her wide range of scientific and business expertise, Jessica brings great strategic acumen to Editas Medicine, and I am pleased to welcome her to our Board of Directors,” said Katrine Bosley, President and Chief Executive Officer, Editas Medicine. “Her contributions as a director on our Board will be vital as we work towards achieving ‘EM22’, our long-range goals for the year 2022 and vision for advancing Editas Medicine as a leading genome editing company.”

“I am honored to join Editas Medicine’s Board of Directors,” said Dr. Hopfield. “Editas is on the forefront of a new era in medicine, and I look forward to working with the team and helping guide the Company in the coming years.”

Dr. Hopfield earned a Bachelor of Science from Yale College, a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration as a Baker Scholar, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience/Biochemistry from The Rockefeller University.

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 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 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, 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 as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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

Investors
Mark Mullikin
(617) 401-9083
mark.mullikin@editasmed.com