Former Calico, Amgen, and Merck leaders bring a depth of scientific and clinical expertise in cardiometabolic and other disease areas, bolstering Scribe’s work engineering a new era of CRISPR-based genetic medicines

Scribe Therapeutics Inc., a genetic medicines company unlocking the potential of CRISPR to transform human health, today announced the appointments of Aarif Khakoo, M.D., M.B.A., as Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Research and Development (R&D), and Maria Mirotsou, M.Sc., Ph.D., as Vice President of Discovery Biology.

“We are thrilled to welcome Aarif and Maria to our world-class team of CRISPR technologists, leading scientists, and proven company builders,” said Benjamin Oakes, Ph.D., co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Scribe.

“Aarif brings a wealth of clinical and R&D experience treating a broad range of diseases, including cardiometabolic disorders. He will help lead and manage Scribe’s research and innovation in areas including discovery, technology, molecular engineering, biology, and more,” continued Dr. Oakes. “With Maria’s leadership boosting our capabilities in cell and gene therapy development, their combined expertise in cutting-edge science promises even greater advancements in our work to unleash a new era of in vivo CRISPR-based genetic medicines for patients with highly prevalent diseases.”

Dr. Aarif Khakoo is a leading physician-scientist joining Scribe from Calico Life Sciences, where he served as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Drug Development, leading the company’s maturation into a clinical-stage company that filed multiple Investigational New Drug (IND) and Clinical Trial Applications (CTA) supporting its portfolio comprising more than 20 early- and late-stage compounds in cancer, neurological diseases, and tissue homeostasis and repair.

“Throughout my career, I have worked with extremely talented teams driving innovation across biotech,” said Dr. Khakoo. “I am incredibly pleased to join Scribe, an industry leader in engineering new CRISPR technologies and molecules that have broad clinical potential, at such a pivotal time when the company is rapidly advancing its suite of engineered tools into transformative therapies for patients with serious illnesses.”

Previously, Dr. Khakoo held roles of increasing responsibility at Amgen that cemented his track record in drug development and fueled the company’s emergence as a leader in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. He created and led the Cardiometabolic Division, which delivered seven first-in-class new molecular entities for atherosclerosis, heart failure, and obesity; then oversaw early clinical development as Head of Translational Medicine across all of Amgen’s therapeutic areas – cardiometabolic, neuroscience, inflammation, and oncology. Dr. Khakoo was a former associate professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He received his M.D. and M.B.A. from Columbia University and his B.S.E in chemical engineering from Princeton University.

“Scribe’s CRISPR by Design approach is capable of truly unlocking the potential of the breakthrough genome editing technology to transform human health,” Dr. Khakoo continued. “By leveraging comprehensive molecular engineering in a way that is wholly distinct and novel to the biopharma industry, Scribe is uniquely positioned to deliver in vivo CRISPR-based medicines that can transform the standard of care.”

Dr. Maria Mirotsou brings more than 20 years of deep expertise in cell biology, drug discovery, and translational science. Her track record includes advancing R&D and IND-enabling studies for a diverse range of disease portfolios, leading business development and licensing activities, and managing large collaborations with academic institutions and biopharmaceutical companies. Dr. Mirotsou’s prior roles include guiding R&D in retinal and cardiovascular disorders at Merck Research Laboratories, regenerative medicine and cell therapy at Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Capricor Therapeutics, and cell therapy and cardiovascular genomics at Duke University School of Medicine and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She earned her Ph.D. in molecular genetics from University College London, M.Sc. in medical genetics and immunology from Brunel University, and B.Sc. in biology from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

“After more than two decades of advancing novel therapeutics in various capacities, I am delighted to join Scribe’s stellar team of CRISPR and molecular engineers pioneering a new path forward for genetic medicine,” said Dr. Mirotsou. “Scribe’s ongoing work and commitment to developing novel therapeutic solutions will make a difference to patients in need.”

About Scribe Therapeutics

Scribe Therapeutics is revolutionizing the development of optimized genetic medicines that have the potential to durably treat disease at scale. Our CRISPR by Design™ approach engineers bacterial immune systems into a premier suite of genome editing tools built for unique molecular advantages in activity, specificity and deliverability that translate into safer and more effective genetic therapies. Co-founded by Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna and backed by leading life sciences investors, Scribe is engineering the future of genetic medicine. To learn more, visit www.scribetx.com.

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"We are thrilled to welcome Aarif and Maria to our world-class team of CRISPR technologists, leading scientists, and proven company builders."