Editas Medicine Appoints Dan Ory, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer
Experienced biotechnology executive with more than 25 years of leadership in cardiovascular and genetic medicine to lead clinical development
Appointment strengthens executive leadership team as Editas advances EDIT-401 toward clinical development
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Editas Medicine, Inc. (Nasdaq: EDIT), a pioneering gene editing company focused on developing transformative medicines for serious diseases, today announced the appointment of Dan Ory, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer, effective today.
With more than 25 years of experience spanning biotechnology leadership, cardiovascular medicine, and the development of genetic medicines, Dr. Ory will oversee the company's clinical development strategy and operations as Editas advances EDIT-401, its lead in vivo development candidate for the potential treatment of hyperlipidemia, toward the clinic, while supporting the progression of the company's broader pipeline.
Prior to joining Editas, Dr. Ory served as Chief Medical Officer at Arbor Biotechnologies, where he oversaw the global clinical trial for the company's lead in vivo gene editing program. Previously, he served as Chief Medical Officer at Casma Therapeutics, leading clinical development programs focused on rare genetic and neurodegenerative diseases. Before joining industry, Dr. Ory spent more than two decades at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he served as the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Professor of Cardiology and conducted research in cholesterol metabolism and Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC), helping advance the understanding of cholesterol homeostasis and its role in cardiovascular disease.
“Dan joins Editas at an exciting time as EDIT-401 nears clinical development for the potential treatment of hyperlipidemia, and as we continue advancing our leadership in in vivo gene editing,” said Gilmore O'Neill, M.B., M.M.Sc., President and Chief Executive Officer of Editas Medicine. “He brings deep expertise in cardiovascular medicine and the development of genetic medicines, together with a proven track record of advancing innovative therapies from scientific discovery through clinical development. His expertise in cardiovascular disease and cholesterol metabolism, combined with his experience leading clinical development for innovative genetic medicine programs, including in vivo gene editing, will strengthen our ability to execute our clinical strategy and advance our mission of developing transformative in vivo gene editing medicines for patients.”
“I am excited to join Editas as the company advances EDIT-401 toward the clinic,” said Dr. Ory. “The opportunity to apply in vivo gene editing to cardiovascular disease, an area where significant unmet need remains, represents an exciting new frontier in medicine. EDIT-401 has the potential to redefine the treatment paradigm as a best-in-class therapeutic for hyperlipidemia through a one-time gene editing approach, and I have been impressed by the strength of the science and the talented team behind it. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to advance EDIT-401 into the clinic, progress the broader pipeline, and work to ultimately deliver transformative medicines for patients living with serious diseases.”
About Dan Ory, M.D.
Dr. Ory, M.D., is an accomplished biotechnology executive with more than 25 years of leadership in cardiovascular and genetic medicine.
Most recently, Dr. Ory served as Chief Medical Officer at Arbor Biotechnologies, where he led the company's clinical development strategy and advancement of its next-generation gene editing pipeline. Previously, he served as Chief Medical Officer at Casma Therapeutics, where he oversaw clinical development programs focused on rare genetic and neurodegenerative diseases.
Before transitioning to industry, Dr. Ory was the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Professor of Cardiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where his laboratory made significant contributions to the understanding of cholesterol metabolism and advanced the field of Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC), a rare neurodegenerative cholesterol storage disorder. He also led multiple clinical trials in NPC disease and was scientific co-founder of Vtesse Therapeutics, a rare disease company. Clinically, Dr. Ory’s practice was focused on preventive and diagnostic cardiology, specializing in cardiovascular risk assessment and the application of stress echocardiography and nuclear perfusion imaging to guide the evaluation and management of patients at risk for coronary artery disease.
During his academic career, he authored more than 160 peer-reviewed publications and is an inventor on numerous patents related to cardiovascular and rare disease research. He was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and is a member of both the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) and the Association of American Physicians (AAP).
Dr. Ory received an A.B. from Harvard College and an M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He completed postdoctoral training at the Whitehead Institute at MIT, an internal medicine residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and a fellowship in cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital.
About Editas Medicine
As a pioneering gene editing company, Editas Medicine is focused on translating the power and potential of CRISPR genome editing systems into a robust pipeline of transformative in vivo medicines for people living with serious diseases around the world. Editas Medicine aims to discover, develop, manufacture, and commercialize durable, precision in vivo gene editing medicines for a broad class of diseases. Editas Medicine is the exclusive licensee of Broad Institute’s Cas12a patent estate and Broad Institute and Harvard University’s Cas9 patent estates for human medicines. 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 important factors, including: uncertainties inherent in the initiation, timing, progress, and results of preclinical studies and clinical trials; uncertainty regarding availability and timing of results from preclinical studies and clinical trials; uncertainties relating to planned regulatory submissions to initiate clinical trials, including that results of preclinical studies will warrant such submissions or that regulatory agencies may require additional preclinical studies, that regulatory submissions shall occur on the expected timelines and that regulatory authorities will provide clearance for trials to be initiated on the expected timelines or at all; and uncertainties as to whether the Company’s cash resources are sufficient to fund its foreseeable and unforeseeable operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for the period anticipated. 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, as updated by the Company’s subsequent filings 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 represent the Company’s views only as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Except as required by law, the Company explicitly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
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