Cambridge-based Broken String Biosciences, a genomics company enabling development of the next generation of cell and gene therapies, has appointed Laurence Reid as chairman, and Brad Crutchfield as a non-executive director.

Reid is a biotech entrepreneur who was previously chief executive at Decibel Therapeutics (acquired by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals) and Warp Drive Bio (merged with Revolution Medicines). He was entrepreneur in residence at Third Rock Ventures, focused on novel drug discovery and development opportunities. Prior to this, he held C-level executive positions at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Ensemble Discovery and Millennium Pharmaceuticals. Reid now acts in an advisory capacity, sitting on the boards of a number of biotech companies. He is also a board member at The Possible Zone and an advisor to Life Science Cares and Mount Auburn Hospital.

Reid commented: “The promise of therapies based on genome editing is fundamentally linked to understanding the desired genome modifications relative to the undesired modifications. I’m pleased to be joining the company and eager to work closely with the leadership team to develop a comprehensive commercial strategy and support the company in its ongoing growth.”

Crutchfield has almost 40 years’ experience in the development and commercialisation of life science tools. Most recently, he was chief commercial officer of 10x Genomics, helping the company through its IPO in 2019. Before that, he held several leadership positions, including as senior vice-president, life sciences at Qiagen, vice-president and general manager, EMEA at Illumina, and president of the life science group at Bio-Rad Laboratories. He currently sits on the boards of Pixelgen, Partillion and S2 Genomics, in addition to acting as senior advisor for Alamar Biosciences.

Crutchfield said: “Cell and gene therapies hold immense promise for transforming disease treatment, and Broken String’s solution will be instrumental in helping companies accelerate and de-risk their drug development pipelines. By enabling the development of these next-generation therapies with precision and safety, we can enhance enterprise value for pharma and biotech firms. I look forward to leveraging my experience in bringing innovative life science tools to market to help position the company’s offerings for success in this rapidly evolving field.”

Broken String Biosciences’ chief executive Felix Dobbs said: “Laurence and Brad bring distinguished careers and a strong history of driving impact and growth within our industry. As we push forward with our ambitious growth strategy and work to achieve our commercial goals, their expertise will be instrumental in shaping our strategic direction.”