Intellia Therapeutics and CRISPR Therapeutics Announce U.S. Patent Covering CRISPR/Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein Complexes
April 26 2017 - 7:30AM
Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTLA) and CRISPR Therapeutics
AG (NASDAQ:CRSP), two leading genome editing companies focused on
the development of potentially curative therapies, announced that
the United States Patent and Trademarks Office (“USPTO”) is
expected to issue a CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing patent to
Vilnius University (“Vilnius”). Intellia and CRISPR are
nonexclusive sublicensees for a defined field of human therapeutic,
prophylactic, and palliative uses (including companion
diagnostics), excluding anti-fungal and anti-microbial
applications.
The Vilnius patent claims are directed to
CRISPR/Cas9 complexes assembled in vitro and used for site-specific
modification of target DNA sequences. CRISPR/Cas9 complexes,
referred to as CRISPR ribonucleoproteins or “RNPs,” are
contemplated for use in a number of ex vivo applications in which
cells, such as blood cells, may be corrected or edited outside of
the body before being returned to a patient as a potential
therapeutic. The patent is expected to issue on May 2, 2017 as U.S.
Patent No. 9,637,739.
This new patent, together with the companies’
respective rights to foundational CRISPR/Cas9 intellectual property
co-owned by The Regents of the University of California, University
of Vienna and Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, provide CRISPR and
Intellia with complementary rights to inventions claimed by the
earliest developers in the discovery and application of CRISPR/Cas9
technology.
Intellia has a non-exclusive, royalty-free,
worldwide sublicense to the Vilnius intellectual property through a
2014 license agreement with Caribou Biosciences, Inc., under which
Intellia has an exclusive, worldwide sublicense to certain of
Caribou’s developed or in-licensed CRISPR/Cas9 technology
intellectual property for a defined field of human therapeutic,
prophylactic, and palliative uses (including companion
diagnostics), excluding anti-fungal and anti-microbial
applications. Caribou has certain rights to Vilnius University’s
intellectual property through a cross-license agreement with the
DuPont Company.
CRISPR acquired rights to this patent as a
result of a cross-option and license agreement with Intellia which
was completed in connection with the global agreement on
foundational intellectual property for CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing
that both companies jointly announced with the co-owners and
licensors, as well as another licensee, on December 16, 2016. Under
the cross-option and license agreement, CRISPR has a royalty-free
worldwide sublicense to Intellia’s rights to the Vilnius
intellectual property.
About Intellia Therapeutics
Intellia Therapeutics is a leading genome
editing company, focused on the development of proprietary,
potentially curative therapeutics using the CRISPR/Cas9 system.
Intellia believes the CRISPR/Cas9 technology has the potential to
transform medicine by permanently editing disease-associated genes
in the human body with a single treatment course. Intellia’s
combination of deep scientific, technical and clinical development
experience, along with our leading intellectual property portfolio,
puts us in a unique position to unlock broad therapeutic
applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology and create a new class
of therapeutic products. Learn more about Intellia Therapeutics and
CRISPR/Cas9 at intelliatx.com; Follow Intellia on Twitter
@intelliatweets.
About CRISPR Therapeutics
CRISPR Therapeutics is a leading gene-editing
company focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines
for serious diseases using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing platform.
CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary technology that allows for precise,
directed changes to genomic DNA. The Company’s multi-disciplinary
team of world-class researchers and drug developers is working to
translate this technology into breakthrough human therapeutics in a
number of serious diseases. Additionally, CRISPR Therapeutics has
established strategic collaborations with Bayer AG and Vertex
Pharmaceuticals to develop CRISPR-based therapeutics in diseases
with high unmet need. The foundational CRISPR/Cas9 patent estate
for human therapeutic use was licensed from the Company’s
scientific founder Emmanuelle Charpentier, Ph.D. CRISPR
Therapeutics is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, with its
R&D operations based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more
information, please visit crisprtx.com.
Intellia’s Forward-Looking
Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking
statements” of Intellia within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward looking
statements include, but are not limited to, express or implied
statements regarding the intellectual property position and
strategy of Intellia’s licensors; and Intellia’s ability to advance
CRISPR/Cas9 into therapeutic products for severe and
life-threatening diseases and its CRISPR/Cas9 intellectual property
portfolio. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are
based on management’s current expectations of future events and are
subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set
forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks
and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to
Intellia’s ability to protect and maintain its intellectual
property position, risks related to the ability of Intellia’s
licensors to protect and maintain their intellectual property
position, the risk that any one or more of Intellia’s product
candidates will not be successfully developed and commercialized,
the risk of cessation or delay of any of the ongoing or planned
clinical trials and/or development of Intellia’s product
candidates, the risk that the results of previously conducted
studies involving similar product candidates will not be repeated
or observed in ongoing or future studies involving current product
candidates, and the risk that Intellia’s collaborations with
Novartis or Regeneron will not continue or will not be successful.
For a discussion of other risks and uncertainties, and other
important factors, any of which could cause Intellia’s actual
results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking
statements, see the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Intellia’s
most recent annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, as well as discussions of potential risks,
uncertainties, and other important factors in Intellia’s subsequent
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All
information in this press release is as of the date of the release,
and Intellia Therapeutics undertakes no duty to update this
information unless required by law.
CRISPR’s Forward-Looking
Statement
Certain statements set forth in this press
release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as
amended, including, but not limited to, statements concerning: the
intellectual property coverage and positions of the company, its
licensors and third parties, and the therapeutic value,
development, and commercial potential of CRISPR/Cas-9 gene editing
technologies and therapies. You are cautioned that forward-looking
statements are inherently uncertain. Although the company believes
that such statements are based on reasonable assumptions within the
bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, the
forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and
they are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and
risk. Actual performance and results may differ materially from
those projected or suggested in the forward-looking statements due
to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties
include, among others: uncertainties regarding the intellectual
property protection for our technology and intellectual property
belonging to third parties; uncertainties inherent in the
initiation and completion of preclinical studies for the Company’s
product candidates; availability and timing of results from
preclinical studies; whether results from a preclinical trial will
be predictive of future results of the future trials; expectations
for regulatory approvals to conduct trials or to market products;
and those risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk
Factors” in the company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K,
and in any other subsequent filings made by the company with
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which
are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Existing
and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance
on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the
date they are made.
CRISPR Contacts:
Media:
Jennifer Paganelli
WCG for CRISPR
+1 347-658-8290
jpaganelli@w2ogroup.com
Investors:
Chris Brinzey
Westwicke Partners for CRISPR
+1 339-970-2843
chris.brinzey@westwicke.com
Intellia Contacts:
Media:
Jennifer Mound Smoter
Sr. Vice President, External Affairs & Communications
+1 857-706-1071
jenn.smoter@intelliatx.com
Investors:
Graeme Bell
Chief Financial Officer
+ 1 857-706-1081
graeme.bell@intelliatx.com
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