Based in Japan and India. Has led to 1 successful fundraise in Japan. Been working the space of Venture Capital and Private Equity for the last 3 years.

Beam Therapeutics has announced today that it is launching the development of precision genetic medicines that make changes to individual base pairs in the genetic code. Co-founded by scientific pioneers known for the advancement of CRISPR gene editing, Beam is the first company to pursue the development of new therapies using CRISPR based editing technology.

Beam’s research will focus on multiple DNA base editor platforms developed in the David Liu lab, Ph.D. D. D. , both at Harvard University and on the RNA Base Editor Platform developed by Feng Zhang, Ph.D. D. D. , at the MIT and Harvard Broad Institutes DNA consists of billions of nucleobases, or “bases,” each of which is represented by a single letter (A, G, T, C), which is then encoded in RNA messages for cell expression. Base editors are capable of precisely targeting and directly editing only one base out of a billion within the genome, without cutting DNA or RNA.

Beam aims to use these technologies to generate a wide range of precision genetic medicines that repair disease-causing mutations, write in protective genetic variations, or modulate the expression or function of disease-causing genes.

“Base editors are capable of making single-base changes with high efficiency and unprecedented control,” said Beam CEO John Evans, adding, “Beam has put together key technologies in basic editing and is dedicated to establishing base editors as a new therapeutic option for patients with serious illnesses. “That’s right.

Leading portfolio of Intellectual Property and Technology Base Editing

Beam has compiled a leading portfolio of core intellectual property editing across a number of basic platform editing platforms.

Beam’s first license agreement is with Harvard University for basic human therapeutic editing technology. This license covers two basic editing platforms developed in Liu’s laboratory at the Harvard Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. The first is the C base editor (‘BE’), originally published in Nature1 in 2016, which features Cas9 linked to cytidine deaminase to deliver programmable C-to-T or G-to-A DNA edits. The second is the A base editor (‘ABE’), published in Nature2 in 2017, which features Cas9 linked to an evolving form of adenosine deaminase capable of editing DNA to deliver programmable A-to-G or T-to-C edits.

In a second agreement with the Broad Institute, Beam is in a position to acquire RNA basic editing technologies from the Zhang Lab. This includes the RNA Editor Platform (‘REPAIR’), first published in Science in 2017, which includes Cas13 linked to adenosine deaminase to deliver single-base A-to-G editing of RNA transcripts.

Both licenses provide an initial period of exclusivity for human therapeutic use, after which time there is a mechanism for extending the license to others on an individual gene target basis, unless the technology is actively developed for that target.

Finally, Beam has entered into a licensing and optional agreement with Editas Medicine for exclusive rights to certain intellectual property rights licensed to Editas Medicine by Harvard, the Broad Institute, and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) as well as certain Editas Medicine technologies. Under this agreement, Beam was granted an exclusive sublicense for patent filings by Harvard for basic editing technologies developed in the Liu Lab and patent filings by MGH for CRISPR technology developed in the Joung Lab, as well as an exclusive option for the future sublicense of additional Cas9 patent families and Cpf1 patent families in the field of basic editing. In return, Editas Medicine has received an equity stake in Beam and will be eligible for royalties on medicines using related intellectual property and technologies.

Series A Financing and Founding Team

Beam is launching up to $87 million in cumulative Series A funding for Beam and an affiliated entity, led by F-Prime Capital Partners and ARCH Venture Partners. John Evans, CEO of SVP Corporate Development and Portfolio Leadership at Agios Pharmaceuticals, is also a Venture Partner with ARCH. Giuseppe Ciaramella, PhD D. D. The most recent CSO of the Moderna Therapeutics Infectious Disease Division will lead research as Chief Scientific Officer The founders of Beam are Liu, Zhang and J. Keith Young, M D. D. Ph, Ph. D. D. , a leading researcher at MGH and Harvard Medical School who has developed key technologies for targeted genome editing.

“Our co-founders have helped to put CRISPR on the map. With Beam, they are coming together again to push forward an exciting and differentiated approach to genome editing,” said Dr. Stephen Knight, F-Prime Chairman and Managing Partner

Robert Nelsen, Managing Director and Co-Founder of ARCH Venture Partners, said, “With this next generation gene editing technology, a world-class team and significant resources, Beam is uniquely positioned to change how we treat and potentially even prevent diseases. “That’s right.

“Progress continues to accelerate in the CRISPR genome editing field. Beam’s core editing technologies are creating new ways to precisely modify the genome in order to treat patients with devastating diseases,” said Kristina Burow, Managing Director of ARCH Venture Partners.

The Board of Directors of Beam includes CEO John Evans, investors Kristina Burow, Stephen Knight, and Robert Nelsen, co-founder of Feng Zhang, and independent director Mark Fishman, M. D. D. , Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University and former founding president of the Novartis Institutes of Biomedical Research (NIBR)

Beam Therapeutics

Beam Therapeutics is developing precision genetic medicines through basic editing. Founded by leading scientists in CRISPR gene editing, Beam pursues therapies for serious diseases using its proprietary base editing technology, which allows accurate editing of single base pairs in DNA and RNA. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company is supported by F-Prime Capital Partners and ARCH Venture Partners, two of the world’s leading biotech venture capital firms. For more information, please visit www BeamTx is Come on,

F-Prime Capital Partners

F-Prime Capital Partners is a global venture capital firm that invests in life sciences, health care and technology. Since 1969, F-Prime has worked closely with entrepreneurs and academics to develop innovative solutions to some of the world’s most important health and technology challenges. Please visit www for more information. Fprime-capital Come on,

ARCH Venture Partners

ARCH Venture Partners is an innovator in the creation and early-stage venture capital of companies and invests in seed and early-stage technology companies. The company is a recognized leader in marketing technologies developed by academic institutions, corporate research groups and national laboratories. ARCH creates companies around cutting-edge technologies and invests primarily in companies that co-found with leading scientists and entrepreneurs, bringing life science and physical science innovations to the market. Over three decades, ARCH has raised more than $3 billion of committed capital through nine venture funds and financed more than 230 new ventures. The company has offices in Chicago, San Francisco, Austin and Seattle. Visit www for more information. Archventures Come on,

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