Form Bio Establishes Scientific Advisory Board, Comprised of Renowned Experts in Cell and Gene Therapy, for Advancing AI-Driven Therapies

DALLAS, April 18, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Form Bio, the breakthrough computational life sciences solutions provider, today announced the creation of a new Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). This esteemed board will provide strategic guidance and consultation on the company’s research and development efforts, particularly in the life sciences sector, serving biotech and pharma customers. 

The SAB, comprised of renowned experts from industry and academia, brings deep knowledge and a shared commitment to advancing science for improved therapeutic development, clinical outcomes and human health. Tasked with providing strategic counsel and critical expertise, the collective experience of Form Bio’s SAB aligns with the company’s mission to advance cell and gene therapies for the AI era. 

“The formation of our distinguished SAB reaffirms our commitment to advancing innovative cell and gene therapy development. Our focus is on leveraging AI-based technology to accelerate and optimize construct designs for safety, yield and efficacy, ensuring cell and gene therapies reach the market faster and with a higher probability of success,” said Kent Wakeford, Form Bio’s co-founder and co-chief executive officer. “We look forward to leveraging the collective expertise of our SAB as we advance our in silico programs from AAV-based gene therapy to other modalities to make a meaningful impact on patients affected by debilitating diseases.”

New Members of Form Bio’s SAB include: 

• Steven Gray, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern. Dr. Gray has core expertise in AAV gene therapy vector engineering and optimization approaches for nervous system gene delivery. He earned his Ph.D. in molecular biology from Vanderbilt University after receiving a B.S. with honors from Auburn University. 
• Noriyuki Kasahara, Ph.D., M.D., is professor and Alvera L. Kan Endowed chair of Neurological Surgery and Radiation Oncology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and chief scientific officer of 4D Molecular Therapeutics Inc. Dr. Kasahara specializes in diverse viral vector-based gene delivery systems and next-generation gene transfer technologies. He received his M.D. from Tokyo Medical and Dental University, and Ph.D. in endocrinology from UCSF. 
• Chengwen Li, Ph.D., is professor of Pediatrics at UNC School of Medicine. Dr. Li is an internationally recognized expert in AAV gene therapy with a focus on immune response, vector transduction enhancement and AAV vector application for various diseases. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Peking Union Medical College. 
• Paris Margaritis, DPhil, is Research Director of Translational Programs in Gene Therapy at the University of Pennsylvania (Center for Advanced Retinal and Ocular Therapeutics). Dr. Margaritis develops AAV gene delivery approaches for the treatment of rare genetic disorders, from proof-of-concept to IND stage. His expertise lies in the ocular and the hemophilia gene therapy space. He holds a B.Sc. in Genetics from The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and a DPhil in hemophilia gene therapy from The University of Oxford.
• Dolan Sondhi, Ph.D., is professor of Research in Genetic Medicine and associate director of Belfer Gene Therapy Core at Weill Cornell Medical College and a board member of Passage Bio. Dr. Sondhi’s research focuses on developing gene therapies for rare genetic diseases and diseases that significantly impact the brain. She holds a B.S. in chemistry from St. Stephen’s College in Delhi, a Ph.D. in chemistry from Brown University and she did a post-doctoral fellowship in bioorganic chemistry at Rockefeller University. 

“AAV has taken the lead in efficiently and safely delivering therapeutic agents to target cells, but there are still challenges in the design and development of new viral vectors,” said Steven Gray, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern. “The field needs better in silico tools to optimize AAV payload design, manufacturing yields and overall performance.”

AI models and in silico techniques are already being applied to early drug discovery, target identification, clinical, and commercial stages. However, there remains a critical and lengthy development stage, post-discovery and preclinical, yet to be fully realized by AI and next-generation technologies. Form Bio is directing its efforts toward bridging this gap, aiming to be a comprehensive in silico partner for biotech and pharma companies — accelerating preclinical development from the earliest design stages through manufacturing and IND submission.

About Form Bio

Form Bio provides award-winning software and AI solutions for cell and gene therapy leaders. By combining data, technology and expertise, Form’s solutions accelerate timelines from discovery to clinic by providing drug developers with rapid in silico characterization, prediction, simulation and optimization of their therapeutics — enabling higher yields, enhanced safety and shorter, less-expensive development cycles. With cross-disciplinary expertise spanning software engineering, biology, bioinformatics and data science, the Form Bio team collaborates closely with customers on their most pressing and strategic challenges and opportunities. For more information, visit www.formbio.com or follow the company at https://www.linkedin.com/company/formbio.

Source: Form Bio