Who / What
Editas Medicine is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing transformative gene therapies using CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Intermated Short Palindromic Repeats) gene editing technology. Their mission targets serious human genetic diseases, particularly rare ones affecting patients worldwide.
Background & History
Founded as Gengine, Inc., the company underwent a rebranding and reincarnation process before becoming Editas Medicine in October 2016. The transition occurred after achieving significant progress in research following its acquisition by Editas Medicine in March 2017. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company maintains facilities to support its operations.
Why Notable
Editas Medicine is notable for being one of the pioneering companies leveraging CRISPR-Cas9 technology clinically since securing early intellectual property rights from Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier. Their focus on rare diseases with high unmet medical needs positions them at the forefront of developing novel, potentially curative treatments using this revolutionary gene-editing technique.
In the News
Recent developments include ongoing clinical trials for EDIT-301 (a therapy targeting transthyretin amyloidosis) and EDIT-101 (targeting sickle cell disease), receiving significant regulatory attention. The company's potential collaboration with Vertex Pharmaceuticals on additional CRISPR-based therapies highlights their continued relevance and progress in the gene-editing therapeutic landscape.
Key Facts
* **Type**: company
* **Also known as**: Editas Medicine Inc., Gengine (previously)
* **Founded / Born**: 2017 (as Editas Medicine); Previously known as Gengine, Inc. founded earlier.
* **Key dates**:
* Rebranded to Editas Medicine in October 2016.
* Entered clinical development phase around 2019/2020 post-Edit-3 rebranding.
* FDA accepted BLA for EDIT-301 in March 2024.
* **Geography**: United States (Massachusetts and Colorado)
* **Affiliation**: Biotechnology industry; CRISPR gene-editing field.
Links
* [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Editas_Medicine)
