Arbor Biotechnologies Announces Acquisition of Serendipity
2024年5月8日 - 8:00PM
Arbor Biotechnologies, Inc., a biotechnology company discovering
and developing the next generation of genetic medicines, today
announced the acquisition of Serendipity Biosciences, a private
biotechnology company focused on the discovery of unique gene
editing technologies.
Serendipity’s novel editing technologies were discovered in the
lab of leading gene editing researcher and Arbor Biotechnologies
co-founder, Feng Zhang, of the McGovern Institute for Brain
Research at MIT and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. The
innovative assets, which include Fanzor-based, IsrB-based, and
additional undisclosed programmable editing technologies,
complement and expand Arbor’s existing editing capabilities. The
addition of these newly discovered nuclease technologies offers
opportunities to add new therapeutic applications for Arbor’s
portfolio of genomic medicines. The technologies build on the
potential of CRISPR-Cas approaches by harnessing next-generation
components to enhance Arbor’s RT (reverse transcriptase) editing
and insertion of exons or entire genes in vivo (both all RNA-based
and DNA-donor based approaches) through unique cutting properties
(e.g., natural nickases), expanded genomic targeting, and smaller
sizes (<500 amino acids) that enable delivery through
adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors and other size constrained
delivery vehicles. Financial details were not disclosed.
“At Arbor, we are dedicated to developing a range of small gene
editing tools that enable treatment for potentially any genetic
disease using any tissue specific delivery modality, including AAV.
Our primary focus is on developing novel therapies for indications
in the liver and CNS with significant unmet need while partnering
in other areas,” said Devyn Smith, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer
of Arbor Biotechnologies. “We are excited to add Serendipity’s
innovative technologies to expand our deep toolbox of approaches
for RT editing and large insertions with the potential to deliver
small size next-generation precision genetic medicines in a single
AAV to patients in need.”
About Arbor BiotechnologiesArbor
Biotechnologies® is a next-generation gene editing company based in
Cambridge, MA. Combining the promise of CRISPR with advanced
computational AI-driven discovery, high throughput screening, and
robust protein engineering approaches, our co-founders Feng Zhang
and David Walt laid the groundwork for our proprietary discovery
engine, which has yielded an extensive toolbox of gene editors, far
exceeding the number of editors published in the literature to
date. We envision a future of gene editing that extends beyond
simple knockdowns to include precision writing, precise excisions
and large insertions. This affords us the potential to treat a
broad spectrum of patients, from those with ultra-rare to the most
common genetic diseases. Guided by a deep understanding of the
molecular basis of disease and our access to a unique suite of
optimized editors, we are rapidly advancing our discovery-stage
programs with an initial focus on genomic diseases of the liver and
CNS for which there are no existing functional cures. As we advance
toward the clinic with our lead program in primary hyperoxaluria
type I, we look to expand our strategic partnerships around in vivo
gene editing across multiple therapeutic areas and ex vivo cell
therapy programs to broaden the reach of our novel nuclease
technology. For more information, please visit: arbor.bio.
Arbor Biotechnologies Media ContactPeg
RusconiVerge Scientific
Communicationsprusconi@vergescientific.com