The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company, co-founded by CRISPR pioneer Feng Zhang, said Thursday that it had received an emergency use authorization for its SARS-CoV-2 test, which works by programming a CRISPR molecule to pick up the virus' genetic signature.
The companies plan to focus initially on development of two monoclonal antibody candidates, with the aim of initiating Phase II clinical development in the next three to five months.
In a landscape where complexity has long been the norm, the power of one lies not just in unification, but in intelligence and automation.
The company was founded to develop base editing, a form of gene editing that alters genes at the single-letter level rather than using the "cutting" technique typical of CRISPR/Cas9. Beam had filed to go public in September, aiming at raising $100 million.
The latest round of funding, led by Chinese investors, brings the total amount of money raised by the company, co-founded by CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna, to more than $70 million.
Jiankui He, who sparked controversy in 2018 with the announcement that he had used gene-editing technology on human embryos, has been sentenced to prison and fined, Chinese state media reported. His former professor at Rice University remains under investigation by the school.
The company, officially launched in 2018 after operating in stealth mode for a year, is developing technologies to enable genome editing at the single-letter level, as opposed to the "cutting" of DNA and RNA normally used in CRISPR/Cas9.
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Researchers using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing on cancer cell lines found that even when certain drugs' putative molecular targets were removed, they still killed the cancer cells, indicating their mechanisms were not understood.
One of the four sites of the trial, in a rare form of inherited blindness, is currently listed as open for enrollment, and the companies plan to dose the first patient soon.
The company, partnered with Beam Therapeutics, Verily Life Sciences and academic institutions, plans to use gene editing to tackle coronary artery disease. However, experience with gene therapy indicates cost could be a hurdle.
The 18 signatories emphasized that the moratorium wouldn't constitute a ban or include gene editing for research or treatment of diseases, but called on nations to develop a framework to govern the practice.
Across the nation, state-based health insurance exchanges are searching for ways to better serve their communities while making enrollment easier, more personal, and more accessible for everyone.
The company is developing means using CRISPR/Cas9 to edit genomes at the single-letter level, as opposed to the DNA- and RNA-cutting method usually employed.
Shares of gene-editing companies were down Tuesday morning following the news, but analysts sought to reassure investors about Editas.
The company said it would use the funding to expand its single-cell DNA sequencing platform into CRISPR applications and global markets.
Tango Therapeutics - which uses CRISPR-based screening to find drug candidates - will receive $50 million upfront and be eligible for up to $1.7 billion in milestones, royalties and other payments.
The financing, led by Thiel's Founders Fund, will help the company expand its reach into Europe and Asia while building up its manufacturing capabilities.