CRISPR one step closer to EU trial this year
CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) added $3.02 to $56.72 on Friday after it said in its earnings that the first clinical trial application (CTA) for its ex vivo gene therapy CTX001 has been accepted in Europe. The company said the CTA acceptance positions the study to be the first company-sponsored clinical trial of a CRISPR-based therapeutic.
The CTA is one of three that were submitted to undisclosed European countries in December to enable Phase I/II testing of the CRISPR-Cas9-based therapy to treat transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. The trial is expected to begin this year with partner Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTX). In December, Vertex opted to co-develop and co-commercialize CTX001 globally with CRISPR under a 2015 deal (see BioCentury Extra, Dec. 12, 2017)...