CRISPR Therapeutics pads coffers with $64M

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (Basel, Switzerland) raised $64 million on Wednesday, including $35 million to top up its series A round and $29 million in a series B. In both rounds, a strategic investor led the financing -- SR One, the venture arm of GlaxoSmithKline plc (LSE:GSK; NYSE:GSK), led the final close of the series A, while Celgene Corp. (NASDAQ:CELG) led the B round. New Enterprise Associates, Abingworth and Versant Ventures participated in both rounds.

Versant was the sole investor in CRISPR's $25 million first close of the series A in April 2014 (see BioCentury, April 28, 2014). ...