Since CasX is less than 1000 amino acids in size, it can be easily packed in a delivery vector. These variants are selected for high genome-editing efficacy, small size, and high specificity to the target sequence. Instead of fishing for new Cas proteins from the microbial genome, it is making changes to the existing Cas protein, specifically to CasX, in the lab, which generates an endless repertoire of CasX variants. To elaborate on this, the company is building CRISPR enzymes from scratch. Benjamin Oakes, Scribe will help create “novel CRISPR technologies with the necessary therapeutic attributes needed to overcome the existing challenges of gene editing and delivery technologies.” Making CRISPR Enzymes from Scratch The company is developing best-in-class genetic medicine technologies by honing enzymes, specifically CasX, for greater efficacy, specificity, and deliverability.Īccording to the co-founder, Dr. Scribe spun out from Doudna’s lab the day after she was awarded the Nobel Prize. CasX, an improved enzyme, is small, compact, and offers advantages of both Cas9 and Cas12. The Cas12 protein, for instance, offers high editing efficiency. To overcome this, the CRISPR-Cas tool has been tweaked endlessly to generate new tools. However, the Cas9 protein has limitations like off-target effects and low efficiency. The CRISPR-Cas9 tool developed by Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier has been commercialized at an unprecedented speed in the past few years. “We are pleased to support Scribe’s accomplished leadership team in their continued growth of the platform and their dedication to fulfilling the promise of CRISPR gene editing.” “Scribe is applying deep, multidisciplinary engineering expertise to develop the custom tools and applications needed to confront genetic diseases,” said Behzad Aghazadeh. Gordon of OrbiMed Advisors will join Scribe’s board of directors. Behzad Aghazadeh of Avoro Ventures and Avoro Capital Advisors and Carl L. The Series B financing round was led by Avoro ventures and Avoro Capital Advisors along with OrbiMed Advisors and Andreessen Horowitz. Furthermore, it will be used to advance Scribe’s custom-made gene editing and delivery technologies. The funds will be channeled towards developing a pipeline of therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases and others with high unmet needs, the company said. To learn more about Scribe’s mission to engineer the future of genetic medicine, visit ithin just six months of coming out of stealth mode, Scribe Therapeutics, co-founded by Jennifer Doudna, the 2020 Nobel Prize Winner, bagged another $100 million through Series B financing on March 31st. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., funds managed by Wellington Management, RA Capital Management, and Menlo Ventures. The company is backed by leading individual and institutional investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Avoro Ventures and Avoro Capital Advisors, OrbiMed Advisors, Perceptive Advisors, funds and accounts advised by T. Founded by CRISPR inventors and leading molecular engineers Benjamin Oakes, Brett Staahl, David Savage, and Jennifer Doudna, Scribe is overcoming the limitations of current genome editing technologies by developing custom engineered enzymes and delivery modalities as part of a proprietary, evergreen platform for CRISPR-based genetic medicine. Scribe Therapeutics is a molecular engineering company focused on creating best-in-class in vivo therapies that permanently treat the underlying cause of disease. In 2020, Scribe announced their research collaboration with Biogen to develop and commercialize CRISPR-based therapies that address an underlying genetic cause of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). “Scribe’s custom-designed CRISPR platforms, molecules, and delivery technologies are overcoming the technical hurdles that challenge many genetic targeting technologies and we are thrilled to continue to drive forward a new era of truly transformative genetic medicines.” “At Scribe, we continue to push the boundaries of molecular engineering to fulfill the profound promise of CRISPR-based therapeutics and are pleased to have our collaborators at Biogen continue to support and expand our collaboration towards this goal,” said Benjamin Oakes, CEO and co-founder of Scribe Therapeutics. The expanded collaboration further validates Scribe’s position as a leading organization driving the development of novel CRISPR-based therapeutics that treat the underlying cause of disease. (Nasdaq:BIIB) has exercised an option for an additional disease target in gene therapy as part of the companies’ ongoing research collaboration to develop and commercialize CRISPR-based medicines. ALAMEDA, Calif.-( BUSINESS WIRE)-Scribe Therapeutics Inc., a molecular engineering company creating the most advanced technologies for CRISPR-based genetic medicine, announced Biogen Inc.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |