June 11 Quick Takes: First-day bump for Janux; plus Vertex-CRISPR, Curis, Precigen and more

Demand for shares of Janux Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:JANX) was strong enough to lift shares 48% to $25.15 in its first day of trading after the preclinical oncology company priced an upsized number of shares at the top of its proposed range, raising $193.8 million in its IPO at a post-money valuation of $678.3 million. The funds will allow the company to advance two of its tumor-activated T cell engager programs toward INDs in 2022. Janux’s top shareholders include Avalon Ventures and RA Capital; its underwriters are BofA Securities, Cowen, Evercore ISI and H.C. Wainwright.

A new cut of data presented at the European Hematology Association’s (EHA) virtual meeting Friday showed that gene-editing therapy CTX001 from Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTX) and CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) led to transfusion independence in all 15 β-thalassemia patients, and no vaso-occlusive crises in seven sickle cell disease patients, in a pair of Phase I/II studies. The group included five β-thalassemia patients and two SCD patients who had at least a year of follow-up. The results build on data released in December at the American Society of Hematology conference; Vertex has since raised its own stakes in the program by buying a larger share of its rights from CRISPR Therapeutics in April...