Skip to content

ReCode Therapeutics Doses First Patient in Phase 1 Clinical Study of Novel mRNA-based Therapy for the Treatment of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia

– Phase 1 study aims to evaluate safety and tolerability of a single ascending dose of RCT1100 in patients with PCD caused by mutations in the DNAI1 gene –

– RCT1100 is the first clinical evaluation of an inhaled mRNA-based therapy designed to restore ciliary function in people with PCD –

Menlo Park, Calif. – Jan. 3, 2024 – ReCode Therapeutics, a clinical-stage genetic medicines company using tissue-specific delivery to power the next wave of mRNA and gene correction therapeutics, today announced that a patient was treated with RCT1100, a novel mRNA-based therapy currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 study in patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) caused by pathogenic mutations in the DNAI1 gene.

“This is the first time a patient with PCD has received a targeted mRNA-based therapeutic,” said Shehnaaz Suliman, M.D., MBA, M.Phil., chief executive officer of ReCode Therapeutics. “This study will evaluate RCT1100 as a potential novel treatment option for patients who do not have any approved therapies. We are especially grateful to the PCD community for the continued support and collaboration as we continue our efforts to develop a treatment for PCD patients.”

PCD is a rare and progressive genetic disease that causes cilia, the microscopic hairlike structures that line the respiratory tract, to be dysfunctional and, therefore, unable to move mucus out of the body. Bacteria and viruses become trapped in the airways, which leads to chronic infections and impaired respiratory function. Approximately 10% of PCD cases result from mutations in the DNAI1 gene. 

ReCode’s proprietary Selective Organ Targeting (SORT) lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery platform was used to develop RCT1100, an inhaled mRNA therapy designed to deliver and express DNAI1 mRNA in target cells. The DNAI1 mRNA is intended to establish or restore proper ciliary function by addressing the underlying cause of the disease. In preclinical studies, the company’s DNAI1 mRNA led to efficient production of the DNAI1 protein and rescue of ciliary function in a relevant model of PCD.

“As the presenting symptoms of PCD can imitate common and less serious disorders, an accurate diagnosis is critical but often elusive for patients. There are currently no FDA-approved therapies that help directly rescue impaired cilia, so current treatment for PCD typically focuses on improving lung function and delaying disease progression,” said Michele Manion, president and executive director of the PCD Foundation. “The initiation of the Phase 1 study of RCT1100 marks an important milestone for our patient community and will support our ongoing efforts to change the course of treatment for PCD.”

In August 2023, ReCode completed Part A of the Phase 1 study, a double-blind, placebo-controlled study that evaluated the safety and tolerability of RCT1100 in 40 healthy adult volunteers. No serious side effects were observed in that study. Part B of the study is open-label and designed to assess the safety and tolerability of a single ascending dose of inhaled RCT1100 administered with a nebulizer in patients with PCD caused by pathogenic mutations in the DNAI1 gene. ReCode anticipates enrolling up to nine PCD patients across sites in the U.S. and internationally. For more information, please visit clinicaltrials.gov.

“With no approved therapeutics to treat the underlying cause of PCD, we are excited to bring our inhaled mRNA-based therapy forward into the clinic and to patients,” said David Lockhart, Ph.D., president and chief scientific officer of ReCode Therapeutics. “RCT1100 is currently the only treatment in clinical development for PCD. This study brings us one step closer to improving the respiratory health and quality of life of people living with this disease.”

About Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare genetic disease characterized by deficient mucociliary clearance (MCC), chronic respiratory tract infections, bronchiectasis, and declining respiratory function. Mutations in more than 50 different genes result in dysfunctional cilia and loss of MCC. PCD is a progressive disorder, meaning it will get worse over time, for which no cure or disease-modifying treatments currently exist. PCD is estimated to affect at least 1 in 7,500 people across diverse ethnicities, with approximately 45,000 patients in the U.S. Due to the lack of widespread screening, approximately 80% of people with PCD are thought to be undiagnosed.

ReCode has launched ThinkPCD.com, a program that provides genetic testing to PCD patients that qualify at no cost. Patients can enroll directly or through a healthcare professional who can go to the website to determine if their patients are eligible for genetic testing through the program.

About ReCode Therapeutics

ReCode Therapeutics is a clinical-stage genetic medicines company using precision delivery to power the next wave of mRNA and gene correction therapeutics. ReCode’s Selective Organ Targeting (SORT) lipid nanoparticle (LNP) platform enables highly precise and targeted delivery of genetic medicines directly to the organs, tissues and cells implicated in disease, enabling improved efficacy and potency. ReCode’s lead programs include RCT1100 for the treatment of primary ciliary dyskinesia caused by pathogenic mutations in the DNAI1 gene, and RCT2100 for the treatment of the 10-13% of cystic fibrosis patients who have Class I mutations in the CFTR gene and do not respond to currently approved CFTR modulators. RCT1100 and RCT2100 are inhaled disease-modifying mRNA-based therapies formulated using the SORT LNP delivery platform. ReCode is expanding its pipeline to develop potential therapies for other rare and common genetic diseases, including musculoskeletal, central nervous system, liver and infectious disease indications.

ReCode has been recognized by the San Francisco Business Times and Silicon Valley Business Journal as a Best Place to Work. For more information, visit www.fullcirclecf.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Investor Contact:
Anne Marie Fields
Stern IR
[email protected]
[email protected]

Media Contacts:

Erica Jefferson
SVP, Corporate Affairs
ReCode Therapeutics
[email protected]
650-629-7965

Tara Cooper
Founder and Principal
The Grace Communication Group
[email protected]
650-303-7306

Dean J. Mitchell

Chairman, Board of Directors

Mr. Mitchell currently serves as chairman of the Board of Directors of Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc., an appointment he has held since 2020, and as a board director for Theravance Biopharma, Inc. (since 2014) and Precigen (since 2009). Mr. Mitchell previously served as board chairman of Kinnate Biopharma, Inc. until its sale in 2024 and as board director for ImmunoGen, Inc. until its sale in 2024. He served as executive board chairman for Covis Pharma Holdings until its sale in 2020 and board chairman of PaxVax Corporation until its sale in 2018.

Mr. Mitchell previously held the position of president and chief executive officer at Lux Biosciences, Inc., a biotechnology company focusing on the treatment of ophthalmic diseases, at Alpharma, Inc., a publicly traded specialty pharmaceutical company until its acquisition by King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and at Guilford Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly traded pharmaceutical company focused on oncology and acute care, until its acquisition by MGI Pharma Inc. He previously held executive roles at Bristol Myers Squibb and GlaxoSmithKline. Mr. Mitchell earned a B.A. from City University London and a B.Sc. in biology from Coventry University.

Trisha Millican
ReCode Therapeutics

Ms. Millican has over 20 years of experience in the life science industry including debt and equity financings, mergers and acquisitions, company formation, licensing transactions, co-development/promotional arrangements, and commercial product launches. Currently, Ms. Millican is a strategic advisor to various life science companies and serves on the board of Life Science Cares, San Diego. Most recently Ms. Millican served as the chief financial officer of Metacrine, Inc. where she led finance and investor relations and raised over $250 million in equity and debt financings including an initial public offering. Prior to Metacrine, Ms. Millican served as the senior vice president of finance at Seragon, a private biotechnology company focused on developing selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs) targeting hormone-dependent cancers, which was acquired by Genentech in August 2014.

From July 2012 to August 2013, she served as vice president of finance at Aragon, a discovery-stage small molecule company focused on therapeutics for the treatment of hormone-resistant cancers, which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in August 2013. From September 2009 to July 2012, Ms. Millican served in various senior financial management roles at Zogenix, Inc., a pharmaceutical company developing and commercializing innovative central nervous system therapies for people living with serious and life-threatening rare central nervous system disorders and medical conditions.

At the beginning of her professional career, Ms. Millican spent five years with the public accounting firm, Deloitte LLP. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Accountancy from the University of San Diego and is a certified public accountant in the state of California.

Justin Hanes, Ph.D.

Scientific Advisory Board Member
Dr. Hanes is the Lewis J. Ort professor of ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University, with secondary appointments in chemical & biomolecular engineering, environmental health sciences, neurosurgery and oncology. A globally recognized leader of research at the interface of nanotechnology and medicine, Dr. Hanes focuses his research on the delivery of genetic medicines, characterization of mucus and design, and testing of nanoparticles that can penetrate mucus barriers. His lab recently discovered methods to make drug- and gene-loaded particles that efficiently penetrate mucus barriers, which may allow for more effective therapies for eye diseases.

Elliott Sigal, M.D., Ph.D.

Scientific Advisor

Dr. Sigal currently serves as co-chair of the scientific advisory board for Amgen, Inc. and as a senior advisor to New Enterprise Associates, Inc. He is a member of the Board of Directors for Adaptimmune Therapeutics, Vir Biotechnology, Surface Oncology, Tessera Therapeutics and Affinia Therapeutics. He is a former executive vice president of Bristol Myers Squibb where he also served as chief scientific officer and president of research and development from 2004 until 2013. Under his leadership, BMS brought 14 new medicines to market and became a leading immuno-oncology company. In 2012, SCRIP Intelligence named Dr. Sigal the best R&D chief in the pharmaceutical industry.

Eric Olson, Ph.D.

Scientific Advisory Board Member
Dr. Olson is the founding chair of the department of molecular biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He also directs the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine and the Wellstone Center for Muscular Dystrophy Research. He holds the Robert A. Welch Distinguished Chair, the Pogue Distinguished Chair and the Annie and Willie Nelson Professorship. Dr. Olson and his team discovered many of the genes that control heart and muscle development and disease. His most recent work has provided a new strategy for correction of Duchenne muscular dystrophy-causing mutations using CRISPR gene editing.

Carrolee Barlow, M.D., Ph.D.

Scientific Advisory Board Member

Dr. Barlow was most recently the chief medical officer of ESCAPE Bio, Inc. Prior to joining ESCAPE Bio, she served as chief executive officer of the Parkinson’s Institute and Clinical Center. Dr. Barlow was also formerly acting chief medical officer at Amicus Therapeutics and was a co-founder, chief scientific officer and chief medical officer of BrainCells, Inc. She also served as director of molecular neuroscience at Merck Research Laboratories and was a professor at the Salk Institute. Dr. Barlow is an expert in neuroscience and neurodegeneration, the treatment of rare and neurological diseases and clinical development for new therapies.

Rafael Amado, M.D.

Scientific Advisory Board Member

Dr. Amado serves as president, head of global oncology research and development at Zai Labs. He most recently served as executive vice president of research and development at Allogene Therapeutics, Inc., and previously, president of research and development at Adaptimmune Therapeutics PLC, after serving as its chief medical officer. He has held several roles of increasing responsibility at GSK, most recently as senior vice president and head of oncology research and development. Dr. Amado has built a career leading the development of a number of breakthrough therapies in hematology and oncology, with a focus on immunotherapies and CAR-T drug discovery and development.

Daniel J. Siegwart, Ph.D.

Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board
Dr. Siegwart is the W. Ray Wallace Distinguished Chair in Molecular Oncology Research and associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and is a co-founder of ReCode Therapeutics. Dr. Siegwart has been a pioneer in the design of delivery technologies for genetic medicines. ReCode’s SORT LNP platform, developed by Dr. Siegwart and his lab, was described by Nature as one of the “Seven Technologies to Watch in 2022.” In 2016, his lab reported the first non-viral system for in vivo CRISPR/Cas gene editing. Dr. Siegwart and his research team are focused on solving challenges in disease therapy and diagnosis, with a focus on the development of new materials that can deliver genetic medicines to treat cancer and genetic diseases.

Alan Colowick, M.D., M.P.H.

Matrix Capital Management Company

Alan Colowick is Senior Managing Director on the Technology-Life Sciences team at Matrix Capital Management Company, LP and its affiliate, AyurMaya Capital Management Company, LP. He currently also serves on the BODs of Acelyrin Inc, Alumis Therapeutics, Solve Therapeutics, Personalis, Inc., AC Immune SA, Harpoon Therapeutics, Inc., InCarda Therapeutics, Inc., XyloCor Therapeutics, and Teon Therapeutics, Inc. Prior to joining Matrix, Dr. Colowick was a Partner at Sofinnova Investments, where he was Chairman of the BOD of two portfolio companies and helped lead their successful acquisitions (Velos Bio acquired by Merck for $2.75B and Principia Inc acquired by Sanofi for $3.7B).

Prior to that, Dr. Colowick had an 18 year career in biotech including significant operating and executive roles at Amgen; Gloucester Pharmaceuticals, where he was CEO and led its acquisition by Celgene: and Celgene, where he was President of EMEA. Dr. Colowick received his MD from Stanford University and completed fellowship training in Hematology and Oncology at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. He also holds an MPH from Harvard University.

Rakhshita Dhar, M.S.

Leaps by Bayer

Rakhshita Dhar is Senior Director of Venture Investments Health at Leaps by Bayer. She joined the team in 2021 and is responsible for search & evaluation and healthcare focused investment for Leaps. She currently sits on the board of Deka Biosciences, Gro Bio, AffiniT therapeutics, Bloom science and Edifice health.

Prior to joining Leaps, Rakhshita was Director of Business Development at Roche Pharmaceuticals where she led collaborations with Dyno Therapeutics and Rheos Biosciences. She also spent a few years at MassBio developing an accelerator program for life-science start-ups.

She got her Undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Mumbai University and her Masters in Molecular Biology from Georgetown University.

Shehnaaz Suliman, M.D., M.B.A., M.Phil.

ReCode Therapeutics

Dr. Suliman is a physician, drug developer and dealmaker with over 25 years of experience building and transforming small and large biopharmaceutical companies.

Prior to becoming CEO of ReCode Therapeutics in January 2022, she served as president and chief operating officer of Alector, a leading immuno-neurology and immuno-oncology company where she played a critical role growing, scaling, raising capital and advancing a late-stage development pipeline.

Prior to Alector, she served as senior vice president, corporate development and strategy at Theravance Biopharma from 2017 to 2019, where she helped deliver a $1B profit sharing partnership with Janssen for the company’s lead JAK inhibitor program.

Prior to Theravance, Dr. Suliman was vice president and global head, immunology, infectious diseases and specialty care at Roche from 2015 to 2017. Dr. Suliman worked for Genentech as a group leader and project team leader in the R&D Portfolio Management and Operations Group from 2010 to 2015, where she oversaw an early development portfolio of more than 30 programs across multiple therapeutic areas. She held various management roles of increasing responsibility at Gilead Sciences, Inc. between 2005 and 2010 and played a significant role in forward-integrating Gilead into new therapeutic areas through M&A. Prior to Gilead, Dr. Suliman was an investment banker with Lehman Brothers and Petkevich & Partners, advising numerous public and private companies on buy- and sell-side transactions.

She was named one of the 2017 Fiercest Women in Life Sciences and as one of the National Diversity Council’s Power 50 in 2021 (Most Influential Women in Business). Dr. Suliman serves as an independent director on the Board of Directors of Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: RARE) and 10x Genomics (NASDAQ: TXG). Dr. Suliman received her M.D. (MB, ChB) from the University of Cape Town Medical School, South Africa, and holds an MBA, with distinction, and M.Phil. degrees from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.

Peter Thompson, M.D.

OrbiMed Advisors
Dr. Thompson is a partner on the private equity team at OrbiMed Advisors LLC. With over 25 years of industry experience, he has held executive positions at Becton-Dickinson and Chiron, co-founded and was CEO of Trubion Pharmaceuticals, co-founded Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Cleave Biosciences, Silverback Therapeutics and serves as a director on several company boards. Dr. Thompson is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awardee, an Affiliate Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Washington, an inventor on numerous patents and a board-certified internist and oncologist. He was on staff at the National Cancer Institute following his internal medicine training at Yale University.

Oleg Nodelman

EcoR1 Capital

Mr. Nodelman is the Founder and Portfolio Manager of EcoR1 Capital LLC, a biotech-focused investment advisory firm established in 2013, which invests in companies at all stages of research and development.

With twenty years of experience in biotech investing, Mr. Nodelman has expertise in all aspects of investment management and deep roots in the biotech and scientific communities. Before founding EcoR1, Mr. Nodelman was a portfolio manager at BVF Partners, one of the first hedge funds dedicated to the biotechnology sector. He currently serves as a Board Member for three publicly traded companies: Prothena (NASDAQ: PRTA), a clinical-stage neuroscience company, AnaptysBio (NASDAQ: ANAB), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on emerging immune control mechanisms applicable to inflammation and immuno-oncology indications, and Nuvation Bio (NYSE: NUVB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company tackling unmet needs in oncology.

Mr. Nodelman has a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service with a concentration in Science and Technology from Georgetown University.

Helen Kim, M.B.A.

Vida Ventures

Ms. Kim is a Managing Director of Vida Ventures, a life sciences focused venture capital firm.

Most recently, Ms. Kim was a Partner at The Column Group. Previously, she served as Executive Vice President of Business Development at Kite Pharma, Inc., where she led business and corporate development initiatives including selling Kite Pharma to Gilead in 2017. Previously, Ms. Kim served as Strategic Advisor of NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. from January 2012 through November 2014; served as Chief Business Officer at NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. from August 2009 to January 2012; served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Kosan Biosciences where she restructured and successfully assisted in selling the company to Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2008.

She received a B.S. in chemical engineering from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. Ms. Kim is currently a director for Assembly Biosciences, Applied Molecular Transport, Exicure, Inc., A2 Biotherapeutics, Neogene and PACT.

Ed Hurwitz, J.D., M.B.A.

MPM Capital

Mr. Hurwitz, an accomplished biotech executive and investor, is a Managing Director at MPM Capital and serves as Chairman of MPM portfolio companies BioIntervene and Rekindle Therapeutics, and on the board of Dyne Therapeutics.

Prior to MPM, he was founder and Managing Director of Precision BioVentures, where he founded and seeded start-up biotechnology companies, including Viewpoint Therapeutics. As a director at Alta Partners, he led 12 successful investments including Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals (acquired by Lilly), Calistoga Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Gilead), Cara Therapeutics, FoldRx Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer), MacroGenics and Taligen Therapeutics (acquired by Alexion).

Over the course of his career, he has been a Senior Vice President and CFO of Affymetrix, a microarray pioneer, and a biotech research analyst for Robertson Stephens & Company and Smith Barney Shearson. He also practiced law at Cooley Godward LLP.

He earned his J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from the University of California, Berkeley’s Boalt School of Law and Haas School of Business, and his B.A. in molecular biology from Cornell University.

Rana Al-Hallaq, Ph.D.

Pfizer Ventures

Dr. Al-Hallaq is Executive Director and Partner at Pfizer Ventures.

Dr. Al-Hallaq leverages her preclinical, clinical, and business development experience to assess, invest in, and manage equity investments for Pfizer Ventures. She currently has responsibility for Pfizer’s investments in Mitokinin, Inc. (San Francisco, CA), Autifony Therapeutics Ltd. (Stevenage, UK), Blade Therapeutics (South San Francisco, CA), RefleXion Medical (Hayward, CA), Montis (Leuven, Belgium), Biograph55 (San Francisco, CA), Vivet Therapeutics (Paris, France), and Arkuda (Cambridge, MA) among others.

Prior to her current role, Dr. Al-Hallaq was a Transactionalist in Worldwide Business Development at Pfizer where she was responsible for negotiating and transacting licenses, acquisitions, and partnerships across therapeutic areas. Dr. Al-Hallaq joined Pfizer in 2015 as an Early Candidate Clinical Lead where she advised early clinical programs in CNS to ensure alignment with business strategies. Prior to joining Pfizer, she held roles at Allergan (formerly Actavis, formerly Forest Laboratories), first in Clinical Development Psychiatry as scientific and operational lead on Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies investigating novel treatments for Major Depressive Disorder and schizophrenia, and later in Business Development where she assessed and executed on a number of acquisitions and licenses across therapeutic areas. She began her training as a research fellow at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Dr. Al-Hallaq graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in Biology from Hamilton College and holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Georgetown University Medical Center.