Cellistic adds CRISPR tech through Artisan Bio asset buy

While financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, Cellistic said the acquired assets from Artisan will bolster its gene editing platform capabilities and expand its presence in the induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) allogenic cell therapy development and manufacturing space.

In addition to the platform technology, the firm will also gain a full IP portfolio.

“This is a significant milestone in our continued effort to provide the most advanced and innovative solutions for our partners in their effort to develop off-the-shelf iPSC-based allogeneic cell therapy products,” said Gustavo Mahler, CEO of Cellistic.

“The acquisition of Artisan Bio’s portfolio not only complement our existing offering, it provides options to license this world-class technology for other applications within gene therapy and cell therapy space”

According to Cellistic’s founder and chief technology officer Stefan Braam, the STAR-CRISPR technology “is validated in T, natural killer (NK), and iPS cells.” Furthermore, it is said to provide “leading gene knock-in and knock-outs efficiencies, multiplexed editing capabilities and large payload delivers.”

Through the acquisition, the company can now provide its partners with Cas-12 gene editing technology. In turn, Cellistic claimed it can make custom edits to cell therapy candidates with more accurate precision than traditional CRISPR technologies.

STAR-CRISPR technology has been integrated with Cellistic’s existing Pulse and Echo platforms, which are a combination of standardized processes built on iPSC technology. The Cellistic gene editing team are now working with the STAR-CRISPR technology to develop cell therapy clinical candidates for its clients.