HuidaGene Therapeutics to Open Up the First CRISPR MEDiCiNE European Conference

SHANGHAI and CLINTON (NJ), April 15, 2024 – HuidaGene Therapeutics (“HuidaGene”), a global clinical-stage biotechnology company developing potentially curative genomic medicines, today announced that Alvin Luk, PhD., MBA, CCRA, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of HuidaGene, along with other CRISPR gene-editing colleagues and European Medicines Agency, will present on April 22, 2024 (virtual) to open up the CRISPR MEDiCiNE Conference being held in Copenhagen, Denmark on April 23-25, 2024 (in-person).

Date:    Monday, April 22^nd

Time:   15:00 – 18:00 CEST / 21:00 – 00:00 (Beijing)

Title:    Advances and Challenges of Next-Generation CRISPR Gene-Editing Technology for Drug Development

HuidaGene’s presentation will discuss the following:

a.   HG202 – a CRISPR/Cas13 RNA-targeting therapy to suppress the expression of VEGF-A in mice with laser-induced CNV and to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients who are either responsive or have developed tachyphylaxis and treatment-resistant to anti-VEGF therapies;

b.  HG204 - High-fidelity Cas13Y RNA-targeting therapy to target MECP2 duplication syndrome (MDS), a rare and fatal childhood neurodevelopment disorder characterized by duplication of the MECP2 genes;

c.    HG302 - a novel CRISPR/Cas12 DNA-editing therapy using a single adeno-associated virus (AAV) packaged with hfCas12Max and gRNA to target the human dystrophin gene to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

On the same day, the Head of Pharmaceutical Quality at the European Medicines Agency (EMA), Veronika Jekerie, Michael Krohn from Akribion, and Brian Cosgrove from Tune will also discuss the new trends and editing efficiency in technology and how EMA to support gene-editing medical drugs.

Alvin Luk Bio

Dr. Alvin Luk, the Co-Founder and CEO at HuidaGene Therapeutics, has over 30 years of global drug development experience, particularly in gene/cell therapy medicines, biological drugs, and rare diseases, participating in 21 approved products at different biotech/biopharma companies, including Spark Therapeutics (acquired by Roche), Biogen, Bayer HealthCare, Shanghai Henlius, etc.  Alvin has a proven track record of over 250 cumulative total regulatory submissions in North/South Americas, Europe, Argentina, BICS (Brazil, India, China, and South Africa), Australia, and Japan. Between 2006-2009, he also served as an industrial member of the US-FDA Rare Disease Clinical Design Committee, focusing on trial design and shortening drug development timelines.

Spark Therapeutics’ LUXTURNA^® was approved by the U.S. FDA in 2017 as the first gene therapy when he served as the Head of Clinical Research and Operations and led multiple AAV gene therapy programs in Hematology, Ophthalmology, and Neurology. He is the co-author of more than 100 book chapters and scientific papers in highly-regarded peer-reviewed journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Medicine, Nature, Cell, and Science. Dr. Luk holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience, and is certified in clinical research from the University of California-San Francisco Medical School.

About HuidaGene
HuidaGene utilizes its proprietary HG-PRECISE^® platform to discover, engineer, and develop CRISPR-based genomic medicine. The Company is advancing clinical programs of HG004 in RPE65-associated inherited retinal disease (granted ODD and RPDD), HG202 CRISPR RNA-editing in neovascular age-related macular degeneration, and the preclinical pipeline, including HG204 CRISPR RNA-editing in neurodevelopmental disease of MECP2 duplication syndrome (granted ODD and RPDD), HG302 CRISPR DNA-editing for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (granted ODD and RPDD), and HG303 CRISPR DNA-editing for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). HuidaGene’s extensive intellectual property portfolio positions it as a leader in unleashing the full potential of genome medicines for neurology and ophthalmology. Learn more at huidagene.com or on LinkedIn.