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SAN DIEGO, RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., and SEATTLE, May 1, 2024 — Creyon Bio, Inc. (“Creyon”), a drug development company that engineers Oligonucleotide-Based Medicines (OBMs) with industry leading efficiency creating novel, best-in-class gene-centric medicines to treat rare and common diseases, and Cajal Neuroscience, (“Cajal”), a biotechnology company integrating disease-focused genetics and human data with state-of-the-art experimental capabilities to discover novel targets and therapeutics for neurodegeneration, today announced a partnership to develop novel OBMs for neurodegenerative diseases. 

Under the collaboration, the companies are developing antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) for multiple neurodegenerative diseases. Cajal is responsible for nominating targets and mechanisms of action based on therapeutic insights from their discovery platform. Creyon is responsible for engineering oligonucleotide therapeutic candidates leveraging the powerful Creyon™ Platform, the first and only OBM platform designed to engineer for safety first, creating lead compounds with optimal pharmacological properties designed to minimize side effects. Cajal will complete validation and IND-enabling studies of the lead therapeutic candidates. Creyon and Cajal have initiated and successfully advanced multiple programs, including one program nearing IND-enabling studies.

Chris Hart, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Creyon Bio, said, “We are well positioned to accelerate the development of much needed therapies for patients with common neurodegenerative disorders by combining Cajal’s target identification capabilities with our platform designed to engineer safe, effective, and ultimately best-in-class compounds. This synergy between innovative target discovery capabilities and expert engineering of oligonucleotide-based medicines illustrates the strategic value of collaboration to advance new treatments for a myriad of diseases where there is high unmet need.”

“Oligonucleotides offer a promising modality for treating diseases of the central nervous system, including neurodegenerative disease. Using our human genetics platform we have identified novel targets that are well suited to oligonucleotide therapeutics. Creyon’s expertise in developing ASOs has been instrumental in our ability to prosecute on the targets we have identified. We look forward to continuing the collaboration as new targets continue to emerge from our platform,” said Ian Peikon, Ph.D., & Andrew Dervan, M.D., Co-Founders & Co-Chief Executive Officers of Cajal Neuroscience.

About Creyon Bio, Inc.
Creyon Bio is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing best-in-class precision medicines with industry-leading efficiency through molecular engineering of Oligonucleotide-Based Medicines (OBMs). This includes ASOs, siRNAs, and aptamers. The company is changing how we create novel OBMs, transforming the process from drug discovery to drug engineering. Creyon has built the first and only platform capable of engineering for safety first, translating new target discoveries to OBMs with optimal pharmacological properties. Coupled with our aptamer-based delivery technologies, Creyon Bio is unlocking the full potential of OBMs for common and rare diseases alike. To learn more, visit creyonbio.com.

About Cajal Neuroscience

Cajal Neuroscience is a biotechnology company committed to developing therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases. Cajal is focused on identifying genetic modifiers of disease progression and translating them into novel therapeutics for neurodegeneration. Cajal leverages an integrated platform that layers genetics with human multi-omics, longitudinal clinical data, and high-throughput biology. Cajal has built a pipeline of therapeutics based on genetic discoveries into the molecular drivers of disease progression, with an initial focus on Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Cajal is headquartered in Seattle, WA.

Creyon Bio Media Contact

Jon Yu

CreyonPR@westwicke.com

Cajal Neuroscience Media Contact

media@cajalneuro.com

SAN DIEGO and RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., April 22, 2024 — Creyon Bio, Inc. (“Creyon”), a clinical stage biotechnology company engineering and developing Oligonucleotide-Based Medicines (OBMs) for common and rare diseases, today announced that its executives will present and participate in two upcoming medical and industry conferences in May 2024.

SynBioBeta 2024: The Global Synthetic Biology Conference

Date and Time: Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 5:00-5:20 p.m. PT

Location: San Jose, Calif.

Discussion Title: Medicine on Demand: Reimagining Drug Development Through Oligo Innovation

Participant: Christopher Hart, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at Creyon Bio

Format: Fireside Chat

American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 27^th Annual Meeting

Date and Time: Friday, May 10, 2024, 5:15-5:30 p.m. ET

Location: Baltimore, Md.

Abstract Title: AI Enabled ASO Design Can Lead to Rapid Initiation of Treatment for an Ultra-Rare Disorder Leading to Allele Selective Knockdown of a Toxic Protein and Consequent Clinical Improvement

Abstract Number: 309

Presenter: David Dimmock, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Creyon Bio

Format: In-Person Oral Presentation

About Creyon Bio, Inc.

Creyon Bio is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing best-in-class precision medicines with industry-leading efficiency through molecular engineering of Oligonucleotide-Based Medicines (OBMs). This includes ASOs, siRNAs, and aptamers. The company is changing how we create novel OBMs, transforming the process from drug discovery to drug engineering.  Creyon has built the first and only platform capable of engineering for safety first, establishing industry-leading efficiency for translating new target discoveries to OBMs with optimal pharmacological properties.  Coupled with our aptamer-based delivery technologies, Creyon Bio is unlocking the full potential of OBMs for common and rare diseases alike. To learn more, visit creyonbio.com.

Media Contact

Jon Yu

CreyonPR@westwicke.com

Company Announces Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel Jason Ferrone, JD, and Chief Financial Officer Robert Muir

SAN DIEGO and RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, July 20, 2023 – Creyon Bio, Inc. (“Creyon Bio”), a drug development company engineering Oligonucleotide-Based Medicines (OBMs) to develop novel gene-centric medicines faster and at lower cost for rare and common diseases, today announced that Jason Ferrone, JD, and Robert Muir have joined the executive leadership team. Mr. Ferrone has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, and Mr. Muir has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer.

“Creyon is increasing the probability of development success by engineering OBM drugs for safety and efficacy,” said Chris Hart, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Creyon Bio. “Strategic expansion of the executive leadership of Creyon will support efforts to clinically validate our platform as the first OBMs engineered by Creyon advance toward clinical trials.”

Hart added, “Jason is a seasoned industry leader, with deep and diverse experience across all aspects of drug development, and Robert brings tremendous knowledge and experience in financial and management strategy and investor engagement. This expansion of our uniquely un-siloed team will serve us well as we continue to build out key functions to advance our vision of creating a radical abundance of novel precision medicines, whether for diseases affecting millions of people or for diseases affecting hundreds or even just a few people.”

As COO and General Counsel, Jason will leverage his distinctive combination of leadership and experience across drug discovery and development. Prior to joining Creyon Bio, he co-founded Intrinsic Medicine, serving as its President and Chief Operating Officer, where he continues to hold a position on its board of directors. Prior to Intrinsic, Jason held leadership positions in Regulatory Affairs, Corporate Development and Patents, and provided intellectual property, regulatory and business strategy consulting services to early-stage private and public drug discovery and development companies. Jason earned his JD cum laude from Suffolk University Law School with an Intellectual Property Concentration. He is a registered patent attorney, licensed to practice law in Massachusetts, and is presently pursuing authorization to practice in California. Prior to law school, Jason was a research medicinal chemist, earning an MA in Chemistry from San Diego State University.

As CFO, Robert joins Creyon with more than two decades of deep experience across a variety of areas including corporate management, financial strategy, valuation, and investor engagement. He has served in multiple team leader roles, including his most recent role on the New York management team as Director of Equity Research at Berenberg. Prior to this, Robert served as a successful senior analyst at Berenberg and at Morgan Stanley in London. He began his career as a management consultant with PwC, where he was engaged in corporate strategy and due diligence, the latter for private equity clients. A CFA charter holder, Robert holds an MA and MSci in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge.

About Creyon Bio, Inc.

Creyon Bio is a pre-clinical stage drug development company developing better precision medicines faster and at lower cost through molecular engineering of Oligonucleotide-Based Medicines (OBMs). This includes ASOs, siRNAs, guide RNAs, RNA editing guides, mRNAs, and aptamers. Creyon has built the most informative dataset and the best tools ever assembled to learn the engineering rules for OBMs, replacing trial-and-error screening with engineering and validation to identify safe and efficacious OBMs. To learn more, visit creyonbio.com.

Media Contact:

Joan Bosisio
Verge Scientific Communications
jbosisio@vergescientific.com

SAN DIEGO, RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – May 17, 2022 — Creyon Bio, Inc. (“Creyon Bio”), a drug development company engineering RNA-based medicines and their components (oligonucleotide-based medicines or OBMs) with predictable safety and efficacy profiles, today announced that David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc, will serve as a Company Advisor and Board Observer. Dr. Fajgenbaum is a recognized thought leader in innovative biomedical research and drug development, particularly for rare disease, and will help Creyon Bio’s work to align and connect with regulatory, patient, and clinical communities.

“There are so many diseases and patients that do not have any effective treatment options even though medical technologies and tools exist that could help them. Creyon is helping to advance those technologies to help patients as quickly as possible,” said Dr. Fajgenbaum. “I am thrilled to support the Creyon team and excited by the platform they are building and their commitment to improving outcomes for patients.”

Dr. Fajgenbaum is an Assistant Professor of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Associate Director of Patient Impact at the Penn Orphan Disease Center. An NIH-funded physician-scientist, he has dedicated his life to discovering new treatments and cures for deadly disorders including idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD), which he was diagnosed with during medical school. He is currently in remission because of a precision treatment that he identified and that has been repurposed for iMCD. He described his journey to a precision treatment for his disease in his 2019 national bestselling memoir Chasing My Cure: A Doctor’s Race to Turn Hope Into Action. As the Co-Founder and President of the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network (CDCN), Dr. Fajgenbaum is a champion for the application of business-inspired solutions to advance iMCD research and works to apply this innovative model for accelerating rare disease research and drug repurposing. Dr. Fajenbaum is also Co-director of the advisory committee for the CURE Drug Repurposing Collaboratory, which is a FDA/NIH/C-Path public-private partnership, and a Board Member of the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA.

“David’s focus on patients and their needs is unwavering, and his passion for creating a better world is compelling. We are excited to have David join our team as a company advisor and official board observer,” said Christopher Hart, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Creyon Bio. “As we advance the Creyon Platform, David’s deep understanding of the rare community at a personal, medical, scientific and regulatory level will help shape our efforts and strategies.”

About Creyon Bio, Inc.

Creyon Bio is a pre-clinical stage company reimagining drug development as it should be, using a data-first approach for generating uniquely powerful datasets and developing machine learning models to uncover the engineering principles that make precision oligonucleotide-based medicines possible for patient populations of all sizes. To learn more, visit creyonbio.com.

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Media Contact:

Lissette Steele
Verge Scientific Communications
lsteele@vergescientific.com

SAN DIEGO and RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, March 24, 2022 – Creyon Bio, Inc. (“Creyon Bio”), a drug development company engineering RNA-based medicines and their components (oligonucleotide-based medicines or OBMs) with predictable safety and efficacy profiles, announced today that David Dimmock, M.D., has joined the company as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Dimmock is a preeminent expert in clinical genomic medicine and a practicing clinician. His medical practice has focused on the long-term care of patients with mitochondrial and metabolic disorders and the identification of rare disorders through newborn screening and advanced genomic techniques.

“It is difficult to find someone today who is more passionate or experienced than David in translating genomic diagnosis to precision medical care. David complements our exceptional multidisciplinary team, and together we will change how precision medicines are created for patients,” said Chris Hart, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Creyon Bio. “We are committed to improving the outcome for patients, and David is the CMO who can help us achieve our mission.”

For the past six years, Dr. Dimmock has been a leader in the implementation of rapid precision medicine based on whole genome sequencing at Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine in San Diego (RCIGM). At RCIGM, he designed and led studies demonstrating that genomic sequencing of critically ill children provides dramatic change in medical management and health care cost savings. In addition to his genomics research, Dr. Dimmock has been the principal investigator on more than twenty industry sponsored clinical trials for novel therapeutics in orphan metabolic disease. 

“Creyon Bio’s vision is to lead a shift in oligonucleotide-based medicine development and over time deliver a regulatory agency-approved platform that connects definitive diagnosis to precision, personalized therapy,” said Dr. Dimmock. “I am excited to join Creyon Bio in building a faster, more cost-effective path to safely and predictably engineer novel OBM therapeutics for patients in need in time to make a difference.”

Dr. Dimmock will play a key role in developing the pre-clinical and clinical data that will support Creyon Bio’s first-of-a-kind platform to deliver on-demand OBMs. Creyon Bio’s interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers develop proprietary, purpose-built datasets to inform powerful machine learning models, rapidly identifying the design rules and engineering principles for safe and effective OBMs, ideal for treating patients with rare or common diseases.

About Creyon Bio, Inc.

Creyon Bio is a pre-clinical stage company reimagining drug development as it should be, using a data-first approach for generating uniquely powerful datasets and developing machine learning models to uncover the engineering principles that make precision oligonucleotide-based medicines possible for patient populations of all sizes. To learn more, visit creyonbio.com.

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Media Contact:

Tabatha Thompson
Verge Scientific Communications
tthompson@vergescientific.com

Creyon Bio secures $40M in financing led by DCVC Bio and Lux Capital

Creyon’s drug development platform creates purpose-built data sets orders of magnitude more efficient than current approaches

Proprietary machine learning models reveal design rules and engineering principles for optimal oligonucleotide-based medicines, ideal for treating rare or common diseases

SAN DIEGO and RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, March 8, 2022 – Creyon Bio, Inc. (“Creyon Bio”), a drug development company engineering RNA-based medicines and their components (oligonucleotide-based medicines or OBMs) with predictable safety and efficacy profiles, launched today with the goal of making precision medicines on demand a real possibility for populations ranging from one patient to millions. Creyon Bio creates proprietary, purpose-built datasets that inform powerful machine learning models, rapidly identifying the design rules and engineering principles for safe and effective OBMs.

Knowledge and understanding of the genetic and molecular causes of disease are rapidly expanding. OBMs are potentially ideal for precision medicine because they directly target these genetic and molecular causes. Creating new OBM therapeutics has been slow and expensive. The full potential of this class of drugs has yet to be realized, both for rare and common diseases. As the diagnostic odyssey ends for more and more patients, Creyon Bio is working to ensure novel OBM therapeutics are rapidly available.

“At Creyon Bio, we have built the company from the ground up to engineer OBMs, rejecting the idea that they need to be discovered through trial-and-error screening. Our mission is to design and offer predictably safe and effective options for patients with any disease amenable to OBM therapies,” said Chris Hart, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and President of Creyon Bio. “No matter how rare or common their condition, no matter the size of the patient population, we believe that the Creyon Platform is creating a fast, efficient, and equitable path to engineering new medicines for patients.”

Creyon Bio uses advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence along with optimal purpose-built datasets to connect foundational biophysical properties of OBM chemistry and sequence with accurate predictive models of safety and efficacy. Creyon Bio’s purpose-built datasets are orders-of-magnitude more efficient than using retrospective or ad-hoc screening data for building predictive models. This allows Creyon Bio to develop models to engineer optimal OBMs across a broad range of molecular modalities from single-stranded antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) that reduce gene expression levels or change splicing events, to small interfering RNA (siRNA), to DNA and RNA editing systems, to even targeting aptamers. The Creyon Platform creates unprecedented efficiency and will change how precision medicines are created for patients.

“At Creyon Bio, we believe it is time to use modern technologies and methods to engineer safe and effective therapies,” said Swagatam Mukhopadhyay, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Creyon Bio. “Our unique datasets are optimized for efficiently building generalizable machine learning models, and we constantly refine our models through active learning. The Creyon Platform ultimately allows us to create safe and effective OBMs with exceptional efficiency, building a world where there is no gap between diagnosis and treatment.”

Creyon Bio has secured more than $40 million in seed and Series A financing led by DCVC Bio and Lux Capital. Other investors include Casdin Capital, Alexandria Venture Investments, and BioBrit. The funding supports continued optimization of the Creyon Platform, expanding the team, and laying the foundations for a diverse internal pipeline.

The Creyon Bio team is led by an interdisciplinary group of scientists and engineers with deep expertise in OBM development and machine learning:

● Chris Hart, Ph.D., Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer & President

● Swagatam Mukhopadhyay, Ph.D., Co-founder, Chief Scientific Officer

● Nathan Billings, Ph.D., Chief Strategy Officer

● Monica McArthur, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer

In addition to Hart and Mukhopadhyay, Creyon’s Board of Directors includes Kiersten Stead, Ph.D., DCVC Bio; Zavain Dar, Lux Capital; and Dennis Langer, M.D., J.D., an independent board member.

“With a team that includes chemists, biologists, and computational scientists, Creyon Bio’s cross-disciplinary approach breaks down silos to tackle the drug design problem from all angles and create an efficient path to patient impact,” said Zavain Dar, Lux Capital.

“Creyon Bio’s groundbreaking approach and long-term planning, including partnerships with advocates and policymakers, is poised to revolutionize treatments for patients of rare disease and likely many common diseases as well,” said Kiersten Stead, Ph.D., DCVC Bio. “We are excited to work with the team to realize the full potential of engineering OBMs.”

About Creyon Bio, Inc.

Creyon Bio is a pre-clinical stage company reimagining drug development as it should be, using a data-first approach for generating uniquely powerful datasets and developing machine learning models to uncover the engineering principles that make precision oligonucleotide-based medicines possible for patient populations of all sizes. To learn more, visit creyonbio.com.

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Media Contact:

Tabatha Thompson
Verge Scientific Communications
tthompson@vergescientific.com