Dec. 8 Quick Takes: Kamau debuts with rights to Graphite sickle cell asset

Kamau Therapeutics emerged from stealth with an option to acquire the gene editing assets and platform technology that enables gene correction using CRISPR-Cas9 from Graphite Bio Inc. (NASDAQ:GRPH). The announcement comes less than a year after Graphite announced that the first sickle cell disease patient dosed in a Phase I/II study of lead gene editing therapy nulabeglogene autogedtemcel (nula-cel) experienced prolonged low blood cell counts requiring transfusions, and that the company was discontinuing the program. New data that will be presented Monday at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting indicate that the patient is recovering, and provide proof of concept for the gene correction technology, with the patient experiencing no vaso-occlusive crises.

Kamau, which was launched by Graphite co-founders Matthew Porteus and Maria Grazia Roncarolo from Stanford University, aims to enroll additional patients in the Phase I/II trial of nula-cel within the next 18 months. Last month, Lenz Therapeutics Inc. announced a reverse merger with Graphite to form a publicly traded company that will advance Lenz’s vision candidates...