EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Metagenomi, a metagenomics powered gene editing company, today announced the appointment of biotech industry veteran, Jian Irish, Ph.D. as Chief Operating Officer. Dr. Irish brings to Metagenomi 20 years of biopharma leadership experience in operations and drug development. At Metagenomi, she will oversee organizational development and the operationalization of Metagenomi’s gene editing technologies to pivot towards therapeutic advancements.
“I am thrilled to join Metagenomi at an important time of growth for the company. Its metagenomics powered discovery engine is able to rapidly identify novel gene editing systems and presents numerous opportunities of creating powerful therapeutic tools,” said Dr. Irish. “I look forward to working with a team of brilliant scientists to discover novel technologies and enable breakthrough therapeutics of high value to patients. I believe that Metagenomi has the power to revolutionize the cell and gene therapy landscape with its next-generation gene editing systems.”
“Jian’s expertise and global acumen in product operations in the gene and cell therapy space is a tremendous asset to Metagenomi and instrumental to the execution of our organizational growth plan,” said Brian C. Thomas, Ph.D, CEO and co-founder of Metagenomi. “Our flagship gene editing systems have shown promising specificity and efficiency with next generation capabilities that leapfrog first generation technologies. Jian’s insights and global acumen will be invaluable as we ramp up our discovery and manufacturing operations to advance our pipeline development of potentially curative medicines.”
Dr. Irish joins Metagenomi from Kite Pharma, where she was most recently Senior Vice President, Global Head of Manufacturing subsequent to serving as Senior Vice President, Supply Chain. In these roles she led the launch of one of the first two CAR-T cell therapies and oversaw the company’s expansion of its global footprint, including EMA approval of the first commercial cell therapy manufacturing facility in Europe. She previously held global leadership roles at Sanofi and prior to that, Amgen, where she was responsible for product development and strategy, technical operations, partnership, and global expansion, and played an important role in the commercialization of multiple breakthrough medicines. Jian holds a Ph.D in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Chiba University in Japan and an MBA from University of California in Los Angeles.
About Metagenomi
At Metagenomi, we are accelerating innovation in cell and gene therapy with a wave of proprietary CRISPR-based systems to accurately edit DNA where current technologies cannot. Our metagenomics-powered discovery platform and analytical expertise reveal novel cellular machinery sourced from otherwise unknown organisms. We adapt and forge these naturally evolved systems into powerful therapeutic tools that can be leveraged by partners and fuel our own pipeline of potentially curative medicines. Our goal is to revolutionize gene editing and unlock its power for the benefit of patients around the world. For more information, please visit https://metagenomi.co/.
