Five weeks after taking the reins as CEO of CRISPR-focused Editas Medicine, Gilmore O’Neill fulfilled his first task, appointing a new chief medical officer.
Incoming Editas CMO Baisong Mei and CEO Gilmore O’Neill/courtesy of Editas Medicine
Five weeks after taking the reins as CEO of CRISPR-focused Editas Medicine, Gilmore O’Neill fulfilled his first task, appointing a new chief medical officer.
Sanofi veteran Baisong Mei was tapped to helm clinical research and drug development for the biotech’s pipeline of experimental gene-edited therapies. Mei, who most recently served as senior global project head in rare disease and rare blood disorders at Sanofi, expressed his excitement about driving the development of the company’s lead assets, EDIT-101 and EDIT-301. In an interview with BioSpace Monday morning, Mei touted the level of scientific research at Editas and said his immediate priority is to “execute on the promise of 101 and 301.”
EDIT-101 is an in vivo gene-edited therapy in development for Leber Congenital Amaurosis 10 (LCA10), a CEP290-related retinal degenerative disorder. Data shared last year showed positive evidence of potential clinical benefit and also a positive safety profile. Additional clinical data is expected later this year. In April, the company dosed the first pediatric patient with EDIT-101, marking the first time a juvenile patient was treated in vivo with an experimental CRISPR-based gene therapy.
EDIT-301 is a potential treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD) and beta thalassemia. The gene therapy is designed to edit the HBG1/2 promoter to disrupt the binding site of BCL11a and ameliorate disease symptoms. EDIT-301 won orphan drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for beta thalassemia earlier this year. It had previously won rare pediatric disease designation for the same indication, as well as sickle cell disease. Topline data from the Phase I/II RUBY trial in SCD are expected by the end of the year, while a Phase I/II study in transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia is expected to begin later this year.
Mei said these two assets, along with a promising preclinical pipeline, “have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients.”
Proven Development & Discovery Leader
Mei’s career has spanned more than two decades. In addition to leading the clinical development of drug candidates that have gone on to win regulatory approval, his work has also included drug discovery. O’Neill noted that Mei’s work in drug discovery during his 10 years at Bayer led to the approval of hemophilia drug Jivi, as well as Sanofi’s Biologics License Application for efanesoctocog alfa, another hemophilia drug that won Breakthrough Therapy designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month.
O’Neill touted Mei’s more than 20 years of experience as a clinician scientist who has a significant understanding of drug development, clinical research and the regulatory landscape. When looking to fill the CMO role, he said he was “looking for a hardcore clinician-scientist who understands how to go deep into the biology,” as well as someone with vast clinical and regulatory experience. That someone was Mei, he said.
O’Neill pointed to Mei’s involvement in the approval of several drugs, including Alnylam’s Onpattro, the first RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic to be approved in the United States. At Sanofi, Mei oversaw that company’s partnership with Alnylam. Additionally, he played a role in the approval of the hemophilia drug Alprolix, which was developed by Biogen, where he worked prior to Sanofi.
“Baisong brings a proven track record to Editas,” O’Neill told BioSpace. He said Mei’s successful history will be critical to the company as it moves forward with the development of its assets in hematology, oncology and ophthalmology. He noted that there is no substitute for the kind of experience and leadership that Mei has enjoyed throughout his career.
“We are confident Baisong’s leadership and expertise will help us achieve our near- and long-term milestones, as we progress our scientific ideas through the drug development process and into commercialized medicines to realize our goal of providing patients with life-changing treatments,” O’Neill said. “Not only that, he’s a delightful person to work with. He has a fire in the belly and understands the urgency of getting needed therapeutics to patients.”
With the addition of Mei to the Editas team, O’Neill said the company has the necessary leadership to continue to drive its mission and bring its programs through the clinic and to commercialization. Part of that momentum includes a recent partnership with Germany’s Immatics N.C. to combine gamma-delta T cell adoptive cell therapies and gene editing to develop cancer treatment medications. Editas will pair its gene editing technology with Immatics’ ACTallo allogeneic, off-the-shelf adoptive cell therapy platform to develop treatments for undisclosed cancer targets.
Mei, who has hit the ground running at Editas, said the company has a “great opportunity ahead” of it to bring a first-in-class and best-in-class therapeutic to market. He added that he is excited to get to work to deliver on that promise.
