CRISPR Pioneer Editas Medicine Pivots, Lays Off Staff

Cambridge-based gene editing company Editas Medicine is planning a critical pivot to optimize its cost structure, extend its cash runway into Q2 2027, and position the company to accelerate its intent to achieve in vivo human proof of concept in approximately two years.

“Recent scientific breakthroughs by the Editas team have convinced us that the timelines around the near-term viability of in vivo CRISPR-edited medicines have accelerated meaningfully…Based on these advances, we are transitioning to a fully in vivo company. We believe the ability to provide in vivo gene editing that functions via gene upregulation across tissues holds the potential to significantly expand the addressable therapeutic possibilities for CRISPR-based gene editing and uniquely position Editas to be a leader in the field moving forward,” said Editas President and CEO Gilmore O’Neill.

In connection with Editas Medicine’s transition to an in vivo company, the company initiated a reduction in headcount that will eliminate approximately 65% of its workforce over the next six months, including several members of the Editas management team and Board of Directors.

In its own words, Editas Medicine “aims to discover, develop, manufacture, and commercialize transformative, durable, precision in vivo gene editing medicines for a broad class of diseases.” It is the exclusive licensee of Broad Institute’s Cas12a patent estate and Broad Institute and Harvard University’s Cas9 patent estates for human medicines. (Source: Editas Website, 12 December, 2024)