Shape Therapeutics Appoints David J. Huss, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer and Lisa Taylor Ash, J.D., as General Counsel


SEATTLE, Nov. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shape Therapeutics Inc. (ShapeTX), a biotechnology company developing RNA technologies to shape the future of gene therapy, today announced the appointment of David J. Huss, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and Lisa Taylor Ash, J.D., as General Counsel of ShapeTX.

In his new role as CSO, Dr. Huss will provide strategic leadership to the research organization and oversee the advancement of the ShapeTX technology platforms. Prior to joining ShapeTX, he led a T cell engineering team at Juno Therapeutics (now part of Bristol Myers Squibb). Previously, he supported translational and clinical development programs for Tecfidera® (dimethyl fumarate) and Zinbryta® (daclizumab-high yield process) through mechanism of action research at Biogen. Dr. Huss began his industry career at Eli Lilly and obtained a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University.

Prior to ShapeTX, Ms. Taylor Ash led healthcare law and compliance at Juno Therapeutics. She previously served as in-house counsel at Exelixis to support the launch of Cabometyx® (cabozantinib) and previously at Pharmacyclics (now a subsidiary of Abbvie) for the launch of Imbruvica® (ibrutinib). Ms. Taylor Ash began her career as an attorney at Sidley Austin LLP and received a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

“David and Lisa’s leadership have been integral to setting and implementing ambitious corporate and scientific plans at ShapeTX to develop breakthrough RNA technology platforms for the treatment of some of the world’s most challenging diseases,” said Francois Vigneault, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ShapeTX. “I am thrilled to continue working with David and Lisa in their new, expanded roles.”

About Shape Therapeutics Inc.
Shape Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing breakthrough RNA technologies to shape the future of gene therapy. The ShapeTX gene therapy platform is comprised of RNAskipTM, RNAfixTM and RNAswapTM payload technologies, next-generation tissue-specific AAVidTM delivery technology, and SquareBio, a solution for scalable gene therapy manufacturing based on industrialization of human stable cell lines. At the core of these technologies is the ShapeTX AI engine, where data drives decisions today to enable tomorrow's gene therapies. ShapeTX is committed to data-driven scientific advancement, passionate people, and a mission of providing lifelong cures to patients. Shape Life! shapetx.com

Business and Media Contact:
Shape Therapeutics Inc.
Cindy Fung, Ph.D.
cindy@shapetx.com