All articles tagged with #beam therapeutics
Beam Therapeutics has filed a lawsuit against YolTech Therapeutics and Serapha Bio, alleging that a former scientist stole trade secrets to develop a competing therapy for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. The suit claims the former employee accessed confidential records off-hours while employed by Beam. Serapha Bio has denied the allegations, while YolTech has not responded.
Beam Therapeutics has filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts against YolTech Therapeutics and Serapha Bio, alleging that former employee Zi Jun 'Emma' Wang stole proprietary base editing data to develop a competing therapy for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. The suit claims Wang accessed confidential records off-hours while employed by Beam, leading to the creation of a rival drug candidate that targets the same genetic mutation as Beam's lead program. Serapha Bio has denied the allegations, while YolTech has not responded.
A patient with sickle cell disease died from respiratory failure during a clinical trial of Beam Therapeutics' CRISPR-based treatment, BEAM-101. The death, attributed to chemotherapy preparation for the gene editing therapy, raises concerns despite early promising results. This was the first death among six participants in the trial.
Beam Therapeutics CEO John Evans discusses the company's plans to advance genetic medicine in sickle cell disease, including dosing the first sickle cell patient with its base-editing program and expecting initial human results in the second half of 2024. Evans, who has been leading Beam since 2017, also talks about the evolving landscape of CRISPR technology over the next two decades and the increasing competition in the field.
Eli Lilly is acquiring Beam Therapeutics' opt-in rights to co-develop and co-commercialize Verve Therapeutics' base editing treatments in the cardiovascular disease space. This move is part of Lilly's ongoing efforts to strengthen its research in genetic medicines, following its previous $60 million upfront payment to Verve for a preclinical-stage program targeting lipoprotein(a).
Beam Therapeutics, a biotechnology company specializing in precision genetic medicines, has announced a strategic restructuring and portfolio prioritization plan to focus on potential near-term value drivers and long-term growth. The company will prioritize the development of programs for sickle cell disease and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, explore partnership opportunities for select programs, and reduce its workforce by approximately 20%. The anticipated cost savings are expected to extend the company's cash runway into 2026.