Vertex Pharmaceuticals is getting in on the gene editing game, teaming up with CRISPR Therapeutics in a $105 million partnership.
Vertex, the progenitor of leading cystic fibrosis therapeutics like Kalydeco, is investing $75 million in cash into Cambridge and U.K.-based CRISPR Therapeutics, as well as a $30 million equity investment. It’s a four-year research deal.
As expected, the company will focus at first on cystic fibrosis, but will branch out into six total treatments, including one for sickle cell disease. The deal could swell to $2 billion if certain milestones are hit and these therapies are successful.
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The companies explore how to use CRISPR/Cas9 technology to correct the genetic aberrations found in cystic fibrosis and the other diseases. This new technology is attracting wide interest among the venture investment community, but it’s still in the early stages of adoption because there’s still conflict over who, precisely, owns the intellectual property.
Here’s a rundown of the six companies developing CRISPR/Cas9-based therapeutics.
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