Codexis Appoints Dr. Esther Martinborough to its Board of Directors

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Feb. 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Codexis, Inc. (Nasdaq:CDXS), a leading enzyme engineering company, today announced the appointment of Esther Martinborough, Ph.D., to its board of directors, expanding its membership to ten directors.

Dr. Martinborough has over two decades of drug discovery, research and development expertise in the life sciences industry, notably at Receptos and Receptos-Celgene where she led the Research team from early-stage drug discovery to initial New Drug Application filing, leading eventually to the successful approval of Zeposia^® (Ozanimod) for Multiple Sclerosis (MS). She currently serves as Senior Vice President of Research at Escient Pharmaceuticals, a private biotechnology company, where she leads a team responsible for the company’s discovery and early development pipeline.

“As we grow and invest in Codexis’ Biotherapeutics business, we are extremely fortunate to have Dr. Martinborough join our board of directors. She is an accomplished leader in the biopharmaceutical industry with a track record of discovering and developing drug candidates through the clinic and into regulatory approval. Her guidance will be an invaluable resource to Codexis, and we are very pleased to welcome Dr. Martinborough to the Codexis board,” said Bernard Kelley, Chairman of Codexis.

“Codexis’ CodeEvolver^® platform is an impressive and proven engine for discovering and engineering high performance enzymes and biologic drug substances. I’m delighted to join the Codexis board of directors and look forward to supporting the Company’s many opportunities to leverage its platform to advance new products and therapeutics,” said Dr. Martinborough.

Prior to her current role at Escient Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Martinborough previously served for ten years as Executive Director Head of Research and Senior Director Head of Chemistry at Receptos-Celgene and Receptos, respectively, where she was responsible for transforming a pre-clinical academic asset into a potential best-in-class blockbuster drug for MS, which was the cornerstone of a multi-billion dollar acquisition by Celgene. Previously, Dr. Martinborough held positions at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, developing novel approaches to treating neuropathic pain, and at Ligand Pharmaceuticals, focusing on hormonal disfunctions. She earned her M.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, received her Ph.D. from the Swiss Institute of Technology, Zurich, and was a post-doctoral Fellow at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

About Codexis

Codexis is a leading enzyme engineering company that applies its proprietary CodeEvolver^® technology to develop products for a variety of applications, including as biocatalysts for the commercial manufacture of pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals and industrial enzymes, and enzymes as biotherapeutics and for use in molecular diagnostics. Codexis’ proven technology enables improvements in protein performance, meeting customer needs for rapid, cost-effective and sustainable manufacturing in multiple commercial-scale implementations of biocatalytic processes.

Forward-Looking Statements

To the extent that statements contained in this press release are not descriptions of historical facts regarding Codexis, they are forward-looking statements reflecting the current beliefs and expectations of management made pursuant to the safe harbor of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause Codexis’ future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Codexis undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to Codexis’ business in general, please refer to Codexis’ prospectus supplement to be filed with the SEC, including the documents incorporated by reference therein, which include Codexis’ Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 28, 2020, Codexis’ Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 6, 2020, and Codexis’ other periodic reports filed with the SEC.

Investor Relations Contact:
Argot Partners
Stephanie Marks/Natallia Clancy
(212) 600-1902
Codexis@argotpartners.com