CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Editas Medicine, Inc. (NASDAQ: EDIT), a leading genome editing company, today announced that it has appointed David T. Scadden, M.D., to its Board of Directors, effective immediately.

Dr. Scadden is a hematologist/oncologist and an expert on the medical applications of stem cell biology with a particular emphasis on its use in the settings of cancer and AIDS. He is the Gerald and Darlene Jordan Professor of Medicine and is Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University. He co-founded and co-directs the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and is the Director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. He has published more than 300 scientific papers and book chapters, and his laboratory has made fundamental contributions in understanding the regulation of stem cell function. Dr. Scadden is the recipient of numerous honors, including membership in the National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American College of Physicians and awards from the American Society of Hematology, the Doris Duke Charitable Trust, the Ellison Medical Foundation, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He has served on the board of scientific counselors for the National Cancer Institute; the board of external experts for the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; board of directors of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR); and is an affiliate member of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT.

“I am very pleased to welcome David to our Board of Directors. David is an internationally recognized physician with significant experience as a physician and scientist at leading academic institutions. His work has led to several new medicines for patients with serious diseases,” said James C. Mullen, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Editas Medicine.

“Editas Medicine is working at the cutting edge of science and technology, and I am honored to join its Board of Directors. I am confident that this team will bring ground-breaking medicines to patients and change the way we think of genomic diseases,” said Dr. Scadden.

Dr. Scadden holds a BA from Bucknell University in English and an M.D. from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine. He also serves on multiple editorial, scientific advisory and corporate boards, including Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and he is a scientific founder of Fate Therapeutics and Magenta Therapeutics.

About image desc for 49 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 (also known as Cas12a) 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 because 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