Twelve Bio Appoints Gita Dittmar Executive Chairman

COPENHAGEN, Denmark--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Twelve Bio, a gene-editing company pioneering the therapeutic application of CRISPR-Cas12 medicines, today announced the appointment of Gita Dittmar, DVM, as independent Executive Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors. Dr. Dittmar is an industry veteran with more than 20 years’ tenure in the biotechnology industry in business development, strategy, and general management positions in the US and Europe. As Executive Chairman, she will take an active role in the operational leadership as well as the scientific and corporate development of the company as it seeks to expand the potential of the next generation of CRISPR-Cas-based gene-editing in the development of therapeutics for severe diseases. Dr. Christian Schetter, previously Chairman, will remain on the Board as a director representing founding investor Arix Bioscience.

“With our in-depth knowledge of the structural composition of Cas12a, we are building a powerful platform to develop therapeutics for a range of human diseases. Gaining an experienced industry executive such as Gita as a hands-on Executive Chairman is extremely valuable for this first stage of our development as a company,” said Stefano Stella, PhD, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Twelve Bio. “As we continue to advance our technology and identify the first lead candidates, her global expertise in corporate business development and company building will be fundamental to shaping Twelve Bio and I am looking forward to working closely with her.”

Dr. Gita Dittmar, Executive Chairman of Twelve Bio, added: “Gene editing is at an exciting inflection point; while the first Cas9-based therapeutic candidates have entered the clinic, improving both the specificity and flexibility of the CRISPR-Cas toolbox will be critical to enable a broader range of therapeutic opportunity. I am excited about working with Stefano and the team to advance Twelve Bio’s differentiated technology and achieve the company’s goal of bringing new treatment solutions to patients suffering from severe and currently incurable diseases.”

Dr. Gita Dittmar has served as CEO and in multiple roles in the areas of corporate and business development. Over the course of her career, she has worked across the globe in biotech and pharmaceutical companies including Ethris GmbH, Dance Biopharma (now Aerami Therapeutics), Biogen Inc., and IDEC Pharmaceuticals. Gita holds a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University, a B.A. from Occidental College, and has authored primary research in the areas of immunology and lymphocyte signaling.

About Twelve Bio

Twelve Bio seeks to expand the breadth of CRISPR-based gene-editing medicines in order to transform the management of serious diseases. In pursuit of this goal, we use our insights into nuclease structure and function to design highly precise and nimble CRISPR-Cas12 candidates for therapeutic application. Twelve Bio will continuously advance its platform and understanding of Cas enzymes to address the needs of patients worldwide.

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