Enhanced Genomics Appoints Dietrich Stephan, Ph.D. as Chair of the Board to Lead Ambitious Growth Strategy

CAMBRIDGE, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Enhanced Genomics (‘Enhanced’ or ‘the Company’), the biotechnology company pioneering 3D multi-omics to rapidly identify high-confidence, genetically validated drug targets for common diseases, today announced the appointment of Dietrich Stephan, Ph.D. as Chair of the Board of Directors. In this role, Dr. Stephan will lead the management team in implementing the Company’s strategic plans, including driving expansion of its internal target identification pipeline for common diseases, with an initial focus on autoimmune indications, and establishing strategic partnerships to expedite drug discovery, development, and stratification of clinical trial cohorts based on multi-omic signatures.

Dr. Stephan is a highly experienced biotechnology industry leader, with technical expertise in high-throughput and translational genomics and a proven track record in scaling, financing, and leading companies. He has held multiple C-level and board roles, overseen successful exits and acquisitions, and played a central role in developing over two dozen private and public biotech companies, several of which went on to achieve billion-dollar valuations. Dr. Stephan has also led world-leading high-throughput genomic infrastructure programs, such as the neuroscience genomics consortium at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), which have illuminated the genetic drivers of hundreds of diseases and contributed to the development of technologies for identifying genetic variants in both rare and common diseases. Dr. Stephan completed his fellowship at the NIH National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and holds a Ph.D. in Human Genetics from the University of Pittsburgh, where he received the Legacy Laureate Award, and a B.Sc. in Biology from Carnegie Mellon University.

Enhanced Genomics is the only biotechnology company able to define causal biology from disease-associated variants on a genome-wide scale, enabling the rapid identification of new, high-confidence therapeutic targets for common diseases. These targets enable first-in-class drug development with blockbuster potential. Using its proprietary 3D multi-omics platform and cell type-specific atlas, Enhanced is connecting genetic variants in ‘gene deserts’ to disease-driving genes in the most relevant cell types. The Company’s unique approach enables the identification of novel disease targets with strong genetic evidence of causality, increasing the probability of success in the pharmaceutical development process. This platform outputs these high confidence targets in a fraction of the time and cost previously possible.

“Until today, most of the common disease-associated genomics data generated over the last two decades has not been translated into causal biology. Enhanced Genomics’ 3D single cell-type multi-omics platform is uniquely capable of translating these massive amounts of disease-associated data into actionable insights, to enable the rapid identification of novel therapeutic targets with blockbuster potential,” said Dietrich Stephan, Ph.D., Chair, Enhanced Genomics. “The Company is also poised to deliver multi-omics signatures that stratify patients for more effective and efficient trials and, together with its target identification capabilities, is unlocking a new era in drug discovery and development for common diseases.”

Joanna Smart, Investor Director, BGF, added: “We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Stephan as Chair for our portfolio company, Enhanced Genomics. Enhanced’s 3D multi-omics platform has the potential to build on decades of genomics research to deliver high-value assets. Multi-omics is the next emerging frontier of the genomics revolution, promising to unlock almost two decades of genomics insights from the global community to benefit those suffering from a wide range of prevalent diseases — and Enhanced is leading the way. Dietrich’s expertise in high-throughput genomics, combined with company building experience, will be invaluable as we drive the Company forward through this next phase.”