Coming Into Focus: My 2022 Vision

In 2021, Team Taysha played to win. It was truly a year of accomplishment. From advancing our pipeline to expanding our team 6-fold, I realize how important it is to reflect on our process and purpose to help inform our vision for the future because there’s plenty of work to be done. Not to mention, as a former professional athlete, I'm pretty competitive so having a set goal is all I need to get going.?

As I reflect on 2021, September, in particular, stands out to me. It was quite an emotional time as it marked one year since we successfully became the #FastestSeedtoIPO in biotech history. I remember starting Taysha at my kitchen table a few short years ago with a single vision and a strong belief that we could make what many said was impossible, possible. Thinking back to that moment fills me with nothing but gratitude. An immense amount of work went into achieving this milestone, so I have to recognize Team Taysha for remaining positive through many long days and, more importantly, remaining steadfast in their dedication to our patients.?

Another highlight of the year occurred in April when we broke ground on our state-of-the-art 187,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in North Carolina. The facility will support the production of our gene therapies through all stages—preclinical to commercial—to ultimately deliver treatments to patients quickly and efficiently. Needless to say, this day felt surreal. It was even more special because my daughter Heaven was there to join the fun. She witnessed Taysha take a major step towards developing transformative treatments and got to break a wall in the process!?

Lastly, after a year on Zoom, we safely gathered at Taysha HQ for our first ever in-person board meeting, followed by our first town hall, which brought together team members from all over the country. It was an important moment for our team to grow together, evolve our way of working and push forward our shared vision. Nothing beats sharing a physical space with like-minded people to volley ideas back and forth. Plus, my favorite air horn app (famously known as my secret to keeping everyone pumped) is way more effective in-person than on Zoom.??

As we approach the second quarter of the year, there are already several exciting new developments underway at Taysha HQ. Last month alone, we revealed positive data for TSHA-120, our clinical-stage AAV9 gene therapy program that is being developed to treat giant axonal neuropathy, otherwise known as GAN, along with initial biomarker data for TSHA-101, which proved to be effective when targeting multiple forms of GM2 gangliosidosis. The progress we’ve made with these therapies points to a brighter future for those suffering from GAN and GM2, and represents a significant step forward in the field of gene therapy.

We are also committed to #RareAlly, as always. This hashtag represents who we are at our core: a team on a mission to bring new cures to life while amplifying the communities that we serve. Impacted by rare disease and limited support, these communities deserve our undivided attention and we’re here to provide it.

To put it simply, I feel confident, excited and hopeful for what’s to come. With our core values – audacious, empathy, love, and collaborative – serving as our guide, no challenge can take us off course. Team Taysha, it’s been an honor working alongside each of you since our start in 2020 and to our #RareAlly community, you are the reason we do what we do.??

Stay tuned for more updates from me throughout the year. The best is yet to come!?

To learn more about the developments mentioned above, click here.