Creyon Bio Appoints Venture Capitalists Serge Messerlian and Shaquille Vayda to Board of Directors

SAN DIEGO and RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Sept. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Creyon Bio, Inc. ("Creyon"), a clinical-stage leader in AI/machine learning-enabled engineering of oligonucleotide-based medicines (OBMs), has appointed two prominent venture capitalists, Serge Messerlian, Operating Partner at DCVC Bio, and Shaquille Vayda, Principal at Lux Capital to serve on its Board of Directors.

“We are excited to welcome Serge and Shaq officially to our Board of Directors, and their extensive experience in life sciences and technology aligns with Creyon’s mission to reimagine drug development through AI-enabled engineering of oligonucleotide-based medicines,” said Chris Hart, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Creyon Bio. “Their insight and strategic guidance has been immensely valuable to date as observers and will be instrumental as Creyon advances best-in-class clinical assets created with its pioneering platform of oligonucleotide-based medicines.”

Mr. Messerlian brings extensive leadership experience in the life science industry, across various therapeutic areas including hematology, oncology, immunology, and rare diseases. He is Operating Partner at DCVC Bio and currently serves on the boards of Auron Therapeutics and Plexium. He previously served as CEO of Teon Therapeutics, an immuno-oncology biotech, and President of Janssen Oncology, a Johnson & Johnson company. Mr. Messerlian has also held executive leadership positions at Johnson & Johnson's Actelion, Baxalta, and Baxter International. He holds a B.S. in Physiology & Biotechnology and an M.S. in Molecular Genetics from McGill University, as well as an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

“The potential applications of Creyon’s foundational technology are vast,” said Mr. Messerlian. “I look forward to working with the Creyon team as they transform the industry standard paradigm from drug discovery to drug engineering.”

Mr. Vayda brings diverse experience spanning technology, aerospace, and life sciences, with a focus on discovery and delivery platforms; molecular, phenotypic and computational tools; synthetic biology; and data infrastructure. He is currently Principal at Lux Capital and serves on the boards of several companies including Anagenex, Atavistik, Enveda Biosciences, Gandeeva Therapeutics, LabGenius, Nomic Bio, and Rivet. Prior to joining Lux Capital, Mr. Vayda worked at Parthenon in San Francisco, where he advised private equity and growth equity firms on enterprise technology and healthcare investments. His experience in the life sciences industry includes a position at Illumina, seeing firsthand the impact DNA sequencing has had on ending human suffering. Mr. Vayda's career also spans the aerospace and defense sector with prior roles at NASA and Northrop Grumman. He holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida.

“Creyon is at the forefront of creating the future of medicine by developing the fundamental building blocks that will revolutionize how oligonucleotides are engineered for both safety and targeted delivery to the right cells and tissues,” said Mr. Vayda. “This aligns well with my passion for investing at the intersection of technology and natural sciences. I look forward to being part of Creyon’s growth journey.”

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). These include antisense oligonucleotides, siRNAs, and aptamers. The company is changing how novel OBMs are created, 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 is unlocking the full potential of OBMs for common and rare diseases alike. Our platform has already demonstrated promising results in a n-of-1 clinical trial, rapidly progressing from concept to patient treatment in just 13 months. To learn more, visit creyonbio.com.

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