Caribou: Solving the allogeneic problem with CRISPR

Improving on an existing therapeutic modality with CRISPR gene editing was the direction Caribou, the last of the four foundational CRISPR-Cas9 companies, decided to pursue when it pivoted to therapeutics development a decade ago. The strategy has yet to pay off, but the company is making progress and continues to believe in its initial calculus: that gene-edited allogeneic CAR Ts against established targets offer the right combination of de-risked science, innovation opportunity and commercial potential to make the most of the novel technology.

The biotech wasn’t alone in that perspective. Although Caribou Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ:CRBU) was the only original CRISPR company to choose CAR Ts as its primary focus, all four companies have pursued the opportunity at some point...