LOCUS BIOSCIENCES

BARDA Awards $24M to Advance CRISPR-Engineered Phage Therapy for Drug-Resistant UTIs

4 months ago

• BARDA has provided $24 million in funding to Locus Biosciences as part of a larger $85 million award to advance LBP-EC01, a CRISPR-engineered bacteriophage therapy for resistant E. coli infections. • The novel therapy, which combines bacteriophage technology with CRISPR/Cas3 gene-editing, has shown promising results in phase 1b trials and is currently undergoing phase 2 evaluation in the ELIMINATE trial. • With UTIs affecting 150 million people annually and 80% caused by E. coli, this innovative approach addresses an urgent public health threat identified by both the CDC and WHO.

CRISPR Technology Shows Promise Across Diverse Clinical Applications

9 months ago

• CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing has achieved a significant milestone with FDA approval of Casgevy for sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. • Clinical trials are underway for CRISPR-based therapies targeting urinary tract infections, hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis, hereditary angioedema, and cardiovascular diseases. • CRISPR technology is being explored for chronic conditions like type 1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, and HIV, with early trials showing potential for disease management. • Challenges remain in addressing the high costs of CRISPR therapies and establishing regulatory standards to manage potential off-target effects and ethical implications.

CRISPR Clinical Trials: A 2024 Update

a year ago

The article provides an update on CRISPR-based therapies, highlighting the first-ever approval of a CRISPR-based medicine, Casgevy, for sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. It discusses the progress, challenges, and future directions of CRISPR clinical trials across various diseases, including blood disorders, chronic bacterial infections, protein-folding diseases, inflammatory diseases, cancers, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases.

Global Bacteriophage Therapy Summit to Address Clinical Development Challenges in Boston

a year ago

• Leading pharmaceutical companies including Merck, Pfizer, and SNIPR Biome will convene in Boston to discuss advancements in bacteriophage therapy development and clinical applications. • The summit will focus on addressing clinical translatability challenges and exploring bioinformatics applications for improved phage therapy sequencing and data processing. • Industry experts from 90+ organizations will collaborate to demonstrate clinical utility of bacteriophage therapies and forge partnerships in combating antimicrobial resistance.