AstraZeneca ups gene editing capabilities with Revvity deal

Revvity will license its Pin-point platform to AstraZeneca to develop cell therapies for the treatment of immune-meditated diseases & cancer.

Millie Nelson, Editor

May 22, 2023

2 Min Read
AstraZeneca ups gene editing capabilities with Revvity deal
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Revvity will license its Pin-point gene editing platform to AstraZeneca to develop cell therapies for the treatment of immune-meditated diseases and cancer.

The non-exclusive agreement, of which financial details have not been divulged, will focus on Revvity’s Pin-Point base editing system as well as its underlying technology. Through gaining access to this gene editing technology, AstraZenca aims to advance its work in the cell therapy space.

According to Revvity, its Pin-point system is different to other base editing systems in the industry as it is fully modular, which enables different components to be selected for better performance levels specific to the gene targets. Moreover, the firm has also developed a method to use the base editing procedure to insert genes and create allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T)  therapy by simultaneously putting in a CAR and knocking out immune markers.

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“The advantage of the Pin-Point base editing system is the ability to perform multiple edits to the cell’s genome in one step,” a spokesperson for Revvity told BioProcess Insider.

“The concept of creating a universal donor cell could be applied to a wide range of therapies by many different therapeutic developers, so a non-exclusive license provides the opportunity for Revvity to license the Pin-Point platform to others without being restricted by the AstraZeneca license.”

AstraZeneca will use the Pin-Point system to develop universal donor cells. The cells will then be used as the foundation for various targeted therapies. The technology will allow AstraZeneca to perform several edits to the cell’s genome in a single step.

“We cannot give anything specific re[garding] financial terms. However, I can tell you when it comes to structuring an agreement our aim is to maximize the overall value of the agreement for all Revvity stakeholders through a license structure that includes upfront, milestone, and royalty payments,” the spokesperson said.

About the Author

Millie Nelson

Editor, BioProcess Insider

Journalist covering global biopharmaceutical manufacturing and processing news and host of the Voices of Biotech podcast.

I am currently living and working in London but I grew up in Lincolnshire (UK) and studied in Newcastle (UK).

Got a story? Feel free to email me at [email protected]

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