SAN DIEGO, Jan. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Crystalys Therapeutics, Inc. (‘Crystalys’ or ‘the Company’), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company addressing the significant unmet medical needs of people living with gout, today announced the appointment of Justin Thacker as Crystalys Therapeutics’ Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Justin to our executive team,” remarked James M. Mackay, Ph.D., CEO and President of Crystalys. “Justin brings exceptional expertise and a proven track record of financial stewardship and strategic transactions. His experience strengthens our organization, and Justin’s contributions will play a critical role as we advance dotinurad through Phase 3 clinical trials and regulatory approval.”
“I’m thrilled to join Crystalys at such an exciting and meaningful stage in the company’s growth,” said Mr. Thacker, Chief Financial Officer of Crystalys Therapeutics. “The initiation of our Phase 3 trials, RUBY and TOPAZ, evaluating dotinurad as a potential best-in-class gout therapy, together with the momentum from our $205 million Series A financing, marks a transformative moment for the Company. I look forward to partnering with the leadership team to execute on our financial strategy, support our clinical and operational priorities, and help advance our mission to deliver a potentially safer, more effective treatment option to patients living with gout.”
Mr. Thacker brings over 25 years of finance leadership experience, including over two decades in the life sciences sector spanning both private and public companies at the commercial and clinical stages. He has played key roles in driving multiple initial public offerings (IPOs), financings, product launches and M&A transactions. Mr. Thacker has served as CFO for multiple biopharma organizations, including most recently at Capstan Therapeutics, where he helped guide the company through rapid growth and its acquisition by AbbVie for up to $2.1 billion, and Aristea Therapeutics, where he led core finance functions and IPO readiness. Previously, he held finance leadership roles at Design Therapeutics, Synthorx (acquired by Sanofi), ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, Auspex Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Teva Pharmaceuticals), and Cadence Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Mallinckrodt). Mr. Thacker began his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and holds both a Master of Accountancy and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and General Management from Kansas State University. He is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Missouri.
About Crystalys Therapeutics
Crystalys Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company transforming the treatment of gout. Headquartered in San Diego, California, and co-founded by Catalys Pacific and Novo Holdings, Crystalys brings together a world-class team with deep expertise in gout drug development, dedicated to delivering more effective options for people living with gout. The company’s lead candidate, dotinurad, is a next-generation, once daily oral, URAT1 inhibitor in clinical development as a second-line therapy aimed to reduce uric acid, gout flares and tophi. Dotinurad was invented by Fuji Yakuhin and has obtained regulatory approval in Japan, China, Philippines and Thailand. With best-in-class potential for both safety and efficacy, dotinurad is supported by clinical data from multiple Asian markets where it is approved. Crystalys is advancing dotinurad in global Phase 3 trials toward regulatory approval and commercial launch.
For more information, visit www.crystalystx.com/ and follow us on X and LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Crystalys Therapeutics
