Intellia expands gene editing toolkit with $45m Rewrite buy

The deal will see Intellia Therapeutics add Rewrite Therapeutics’ DNA writing platform and expand its CRISPR functionality.

Under the terms of the deal, Intellia, a genome editing firm which uses CRISPR-based technologies will pay Rewrite Therapeutics’ shareholders $45 million in an upfront payment and an additional $155 million in pre-agreed research and regulatory milestones.

According to Intellia, the University of California, Berkeley spinout will provide technology that is “highly complementary” to its CRISPR/cas9 and base editing technologies.

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“Rewrite has developed promising new tools for genome editing, including DNA writing via CRISPR/Cas9-guided polymerases,” a spokesperson for Intellia told us.

“Rewrite’s DNA writing technology may enable a range of precise editing strategies, including targeted corrections, insertions, deletions, and the full range of single-nucleotide changes, which could provide new ways to edit disease-causing genes and broaden the therapeutic potential for genomic medicines.”

Rewrite’s technology could be delivered using Intellia’s lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology and adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors. Additionally, the firm claims that Rewrite has developed an approach that has the potential to improve the efficacy of genome editing in non-dividing cell types, which Intellia recognizes as a key challenge in some platforms.

“Intellia has the built industry’s broadest and deepest genome editing platform by staying at the forefront of new technologies, while also extending the capabilities of CRISPR/Cas9-based editing to make precisely targeted changes to DNA,” the spokesperson said.

“Rewrite’s […] technologies, along with our own base editor and additional CRISPR enzymes, provide us with the capabilities to achieve any editing strategy.  The transaction is another example of how Intellia continues to expand its industry-leading platform.”

No further details have been disclosed.