EnPlusOne Biosciences has appointed biotechnology executive Jim Weissman to its board of directors as the company pushes to commercialize enzymatic RNA synthesis technology aimed at scaling next-generation RNA therapeutic manufacturing.
The appointment comes as RNA-focused drug developers and manufacturing companies face increasing pressure to improve production efficiency, scalability and modification flexibility beyond traditional chemical synthesis methods.
EnPlusOne said Weissman’s addition supports the company’s 2026 focus on advancing its enzymatic RNA synthesis platform, which is designed to support large-scale RNA production using water-based, template-free manufacturing processes.
CEO Clare Murray said the company is concentrating on breakthroughs in enzymatic RNA synthesis and expanding capabilities around novel RNA modifications, an area becoming increasingly important as therapeutic developers pursue more complex RNA-based medicines.
The company’s ezRNA platform is intended to address one of the larger operational bottlenecks emerging in the RNA therapeutics market: the ability to manufacture high-quality RNA molecules efficiently at commercial scale while incorporating increasingly sophisticated nucleotide modifications.
That manufacturing challenge has become more prominent as RNA therapeutics expand beyond rare disease applications into broader clinical indications requiring larger production volumes, tighter quality controls and more scalable manufacturing infrastructure.
Weissman brings extensive experience in RNA therapeutics commercialization and partnership development. He previously served as executive vice president, chief operating officer and chief business officer at Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, an RNA interference therapeutics company acquired by Novo Nordisk for $3.3 billion in 2021.
During his tenure at Dicerna, the company expanded its GalXC RNAi platform across nearly 20 development programs and executed multiple collaborations with major pharmaceutical companies including Roche, Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Boehringer Ingelheim.
Those partnerships generated more than $1 billion in upfront, milestone and related payments before the company’s acquisition, highlighting the increasing commercial value being placed on RNA platform technologies and manufacturing capabilities.
Weissman also brings experience in public-market financing and business development, including Dicerna’s IPO and prior commercial leadership roles at MannKind, Pfizer and Pharmacia Biotech.
EnPlusOne Chairman Steven Kasok said Weissman’s industry relationships and strategic experience are expected to support the company’s efforts to evaluate partnerships and broader industry collaborations.
The company is operating in a segment of the biotechnology industry attracting growing attention from both pharmaceutical developers and infrastructure investors as RNA therapies move toward larger commercial markets.
While much of the early RNA therapeutics industry relied on chemically synthesized RNA, enzymatic approaches are increasingly being explored as developers seek methods capable of improving manufacturing throughput, reducing waste and supporting more advanced molecular designs.
EnPlusOne’s platform is designed to incorporate both natural and modified nucleotides, a capability that could become increasingly important as RNA therapeutics evolve toward more targeted and durable applications.
As part of the board transition, Paxton Major of Northpond Ventures moved into a board observer role. Northpond remains an investor in the company.