Proven technology driven biotech leader to accelerate company's next phase of AI-powered growth in genetic medicine and genome engineering
AUSTIN, TX / ACCESS Newswire / August 18, 2025 / Form Bio, a leading provider of AI-powered solutions for genetic medicine and genome engineering, today announced the appointment of Michelle Chen, Ph.D., as President, Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors. Dr. Chen succeeds Form Bio's co-founders Andrew Busey, CEO, and Kent Wakeford, President and COO, who have successfully led the company since its spinout from Colossal Biosciences in 2022. Both Busey and Wakeford will remain engaged as strategic advisors and executive chair members of the board.
"Form Bio is at the forefront of a revolution in how new genetic medicines are discovered and developed," said Dr. Michelle Chen, CEO of Form Bio. "The opportunity to lead this next chapter, scaling our AI expertise and genetic/genomic platforms in gene therapy and beyond, is incredibly exciting. I look forward to working with the talented team at Form Bio and collaborating with our external partners to drive scientific breakthroughs, business expansion, and strategic partnerships that will ultimately benefit patients."
Dr. Chen brings over 25 years of leadership experience across multiple therapeutics, AI-driven drug discovery and development, biotech and global pharma. Most recently, she served as Chief Business Officer at Insilico Medicine, a pioneer in generative AI for drug discovery. During her tenure Insilico raised over $200 million, grew business revenue significantly via licensing and strategic partnership deals, and advanced multiple assets into the clinical stage. In June 2025 the company published positive Phase IIa results of Rentosertib, a novel TNIK inhibitor in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis-marking a significant milestone in AI-led drug discovery and development.
Previously, Dr. Chen held senior leadership roles including SVP of Corporate Development at WuXi Biologics where she led M&A, licensing and international expansion. Her career also includes key management roles at Roche, Merck & Co., BioMarin, Agilent Technologies, and Applied Biosystems, spanning corporate and business development, alliance management, operations, product marketing and biotech R&D.
"Michelle brings an exceptional combination of scientific acumen, business strategy, and global biotech experience," said Andrew Busey, Form Bio co-founder and outgoing CEO. "She's the right leader at the right time to take Form Bio to new heights."
Since its launch, Form Bio has rapidly become a trusted innovation partner to gene therapy companies by delivering advanced AI/ML models, computational tools, and in silico solutions that accelerate development timelines, reduce risk, and optimize therapeutic design for manufacturability. With Dr. Chen at the helm, Form Bio will deepen its investment in R&D, expand globally and further broaden its leadership in AI-native solutions for genetic medicine and genome engineering.
About Form Bio
Form Bio is a leading provider of AI-powered solutions for genetic medicine and genome engineering. Since spinning out from Colossal Biosciences in 2022, the company has become a trusted innovation partner to cell and gene therapy developers. Form Bio's advanced in silico technology and computational tools deliver deep insights into genome integrity, optimized payload design, and other critical factors-enabling safer, more efficacious, and more manufacturable therapeutics. By reducing risk, shortening timelines, and optimizing outcomes, Form Bio helps teams accelerate the path from discovery to the clinic. For more information, visit www.formbio.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
Contact Information
Angela Anderson
Form Bio
angela@formbio.com
SOURCE: Form Bio
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