Benzinga | Dec 14, 2020 08:04AM EST

CRISPR Therapeutics Reports Receipt Of Grant From Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation To Research In Vivo Gene Therapies For Treatment Of HIV

CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP), a biopharmaceutical company focused on creating transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases, today announced the receipt of a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to research in vivo gene editing therapies for the treatment of HIV.

"While we have demonstrated the promise of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing ex vivo in sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia, an in vivo approach to editing hematopoietic stem cells could allow the transformative benefit of CRISPR/Cas9 to reach a broader array of patients, including those in low resource settings that lack sufficient infrastructure for stem cell transplantation," said Tony Ho, M.D., Executive Vice President and Head of Research & Development at CRISPR Therapeutics. "We look forward to working on new therapies that could contribute to the global effort to reduce the burden of HIV."

The grant builds upon CRISPR Therapeutics' proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology and expertise in editing hematopoietic stem cells and contributes to efforts to accelerate transformative medicines for global health.