HuidaGene Therapeutics Appoints TJ Cradick, PhD as Chief Technology Officer to Lead Delivery Science and Genome Editing Innovations

SHANGHAI and MIDDLETOWN (DE), October 21, 2024 –HuidaGene Therapeutics (“HuidaGene”), a global clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering CRISPR-based programmable genome medicines, today announced the appointment of Dr. TJ Cradick as Chief Technology Officer. In this role, Dr. Cradick will further drive innovation and development of delivery vectors and gene editing tools through computational biology, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and other tools and methodologies.

HuidaGene CTO

Dr. TJ Cradick

A recognized leader in genome editing technologies, Dr. Cradick has made significant contributions to the development of nucleases and gene therapy methods, particularly for CRISPR/Cas nucleases, and before that, TAL Effector Nucleases (TALENs) and Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs). His gene editing industry experiences began at Sangamo Therapeutics in 2000, with recent roles at CRISPR Therapeutics and Excision BioTherapeutics. When he was Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) at Excision, Dr. Cradick led the development of the first in-vivo CRISPR-based systemic treatment targeting latent HIV DNA reservoirs, currently under evaluation in clinical trials in the United States. Additionally, as Head of Genome Editing at CRISPR Therapeutics, he contributed to the approval of the groundbreaking therapy Casgevy^TM, the first-ever approved CRISPR-based treatment.

“We are excited to welcome TJ to the leadership team at this pivotal moment in our growth,” stated Alvin Luk, PhD., MBA, CCRA, co-founder and CEO of HuidaGene. “I have known TJ since before at UCSF, when we were colleagues. I have had the pleasure of working alongside Prof. Yang, who has been instrumental in developing our gene editing tools. TJ will now take the baton to optimize and enhance these tools to further advance our clinical programs. His vast expertise in gene editing will be key in advancing our mission to bring life-changing genomic medicines to patients worldwide.”

Prof. Hui Yang, co-founder and Chief Scientific Advisor at HuidaGene added, “I am delighted to welcome TJ to the team. His remarkable track record applying gene editing technologies to a range of diseases aligns perfectly with HuidaGene’s vision. I am confident that TJ’s leadership will further accelerate our efforts to develop cutting-edge tools and therapies that could transform the lives of patients around the world.”

Dr. Cradick’s achievements include developing gene editing assays, bioinformatics tools, and concepts that are widely used in genome editing research. He holds an undergraduate degree from MIT, an M.A. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of California, San Francisco, and a PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Iowa.

“I am thrilled to join HuidaGene at such an exciting time,” commented Dr. TJ Cradick. “The innovative work being done here has the potential to revolutionize how we approach gene editing. I look forward to collaborating with the talented team on new means to develop genomic medicines.”

About HuidaGene

HuidaGene utilizes its proprietary CRISPR-based HG-PRECISE^® platform to develop potentially curative genome medicines. The Company is advancing clinical programs, including trials of HG004 (granted ODD & RPDD by FDA) ‘LIGHT’ trial (NCT06088992) and Phase 1/2 international, master-protocol ‘STAR’ clinical trial (NCT05906953) in RPE65-associated retinal disease, HG202 RNA-editing therapy ‘SIGHT-I’ first-in-human trial (NCT06031727) and Phase 1 ‘BRIGHT’ clinical trial (NCT06623279) for nAMD, HG204 RNA-editing therapy (granted ODD & RPDD by FDA and ODD by EMA) ‘HERO’ trial (NCT06615206) for MECP2 duplication syndrome, and HG302 DNA-editing therapy (granted ODD & RPDD by FDA) first-in-human ‘MUSCLE’ trial (NCT06594094) for DMD. The preclinical programs include HG303 DNA-editing for ALS and CRISPR RNA-editing therapy for Alzheimer’s. With an extensive intellectual property portfolio, HuidaGene is a leader in genome medicines for neurology and ophthalmology. Learn more at huidagene.com or on LinkedIn.