Editas Medicine

Editas Medicine is a discovery-phase pharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts which aims to develop therapies based on CRISPR–Cas9 gene editing technology.[1] The company went public on 2 Feb 2016.[1] This initial public offering was noted as being the first such from a company which aims to use "DNA itself to internally treat afflictions".[2] The company has conceded that “It will be many years, if ever, before we have a product candidate ready for commercialization.”[2] Further, the company's valuation depends on a single patent, which holder was in dispute as of early 2016, presenting a major risk to the company's continued viability.[2]

The company entered into a strategic collaboration with Juno Therapeutics in 2015 to combine its CRISPR-Cas9 technology with Juno's experience in creating chimeric antigen receptor and high-affinity T cell receptor therapeutics to the end of developing cancer therapeutics.[3]

The company announced in 2015 that it was planning a clinical trial in 2017 using CRISPR gene editing techniques to treat Leber's congenital amaurosis, a rare genetic illness that causes blindness.[4]

Direct competitors to Editas include Crispr Therapeutics, Intellia Therapeutics, and Caribou Biosciences.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 Staff (10 Feb 2016). "The week in science: 5–11 February 2016". Nature. 530. Business: CRISPR goes public. doi:10.1038/530134a.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Fye, Shaan (9 Jan 2016). "Genetic Rough Draft: Editas and CRISPR". The Atlas Business Journal. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  3. ↑ Staff (27 May 2015). "Juno, Editas Launch Up-to-$737M+ Cancer Therapy Collaboration". Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  4. ↑ Regalado, Antonio (2015-11-05). "CRISPR Gene Editing to Be Tested on People by 2017, Says Editas". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 2016-06-21.
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