In 2020, Catherine Stehman-Breen received a call from pioneering biologist and chemist David Liu. "Are you interested in becoming the CEO of an epigenetic editing company?" he asked.
At the time, Catherine, a renowned physician-scientist, was the head of research and development at a cell therapy company. She was intrigued by the budding field of epigenetic editing and its potential to transform the treatment of genetically-driven diseases for patients. Over the past few years, gene editing conversations have started to shift to the related field of epigenetics. Leading scientists continue to explore how new therapeutic approaches to the epigenome — nature's innate mechanism for gene regulation — can preserve genomic integrity, all without nicking or cutting DNA.
After several conversations with David, the path became clear: Catherine said yes to the CEO role at Chroma Medicine. "We had many of the same ideas about building a company and what the culture would look like. [Chroma] has six founders — all luminaries in their own right — working together so effectively with each other."
The company’s progress has been remarkable. In March, Chroma announced a $135 million Series B led by GV. Its mission is to open the door to new therapeutic possibilities that can offer hope and lifelong cures for patients with serious illnesses. Chroma is pioneering the future of single-dose genomic medicines by harnessing epigenetics to unlock precise, predictable, and durable therapies.
Earlier this month, Chroma progressed a step further at the annual meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT), announcing new data, including the first in vivo proof-of-concept for Chroma's epigenetic editing platform, along with evidence of the critical advantages of epigenetic editing for multiplexed gene regulation.
Recently, Catherine and I sat down to talk about Chroma's early days and how her time as a physician drives her work in drug development to make a real-world impact on patients. She also dives into the importance of fostering a company culture in a mission-driven organization and Chroma's technology-driven approach to changing the course of diseases.
"The weight and responsibility that comes with building a company that can scale and grow — I deeply feel that," Catherine observes. "The foundation we build today will be immortalized for years to come."
Watch the full conversation above.