-Enrollment ongoing in clinical trials of CTX001 for patients with severe hemoglobinopathies-

-Enrollment ongoing in clinical trial of CTX110, targeting CD19+ malignancies-

-Enrollment has begun in clinical trial of CTX120, targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-

ZUG, Switzerland and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CRISPR Therapeutics(CRSP), a biopharmaceutical company focused on creating transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2019.

In 2019, CRISPR Therapeutics achieved important milestones and momentum across key programs. We announced positive interim safety and efficacy data from the first two patients in our ongoing CTX001 clinical trials, one patient with beta thalassemia and one patient with sickle cell disease. These preliminary data support our belief in the potential of CTX001 to have meaningful benefit for patients following a one-time intervention, said Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of CRISPR Therapeutics. In addition, we advanced our first allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy, CTX110, targeting CD19+ malignancies and, building on this progress, today announced that we have begun enrolling patients in a clinical trial for our second allogeneic CAR-T therapy, CTX120, targeting BCMA for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

Dr. Kulkarni added: 2020 has the potential to be a pivotal year in our companys growth. We expect to conduct clinical trials in five indications, and we anticipate new data from our immuno-oncology and hemoglobinopathies programs. Our continued progress brings us closer to potentially providing transformative therapies to patients with serious diseases.

About CTX001TMCTX001 is an investigational ex vivo CRISPR gene-edited therapy that is being evaluated for patients suffering from TDT or severe SCD in which a patients hematopoietic stem cells are engineered to produce high levels of fetal hemoglobin (HbF; hemoglobin F) in red blood cells. HbF is a form of the oxygen-carrying hemoglobin that is naturally present at birth and is then replaced by the adult form of hemoglobin. The elevation of HbF by CTX001 has the potential to alleviate transfusion requirements for TDT patients and painful and debilitating sickle crises for SCD patients.

CTX001 is being developed under a co-development and co-commercialization agreement between CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex.

About CTX110TMCTX110 is a healthy donor-derived gene-edited allogeneic CAR-T therapy targeting cluster of differentiation 19, or CD19, for the treatment of CD19+ malignancies. A wholly-owned asset of CRISPR Therapeutics, CTX110 is in a clinical trial designed to assess the safety and efficacy of CTX110 in relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies. The multi-center, open-label clinical trial is designed to enroll up to 95 patients and investigate several dose levels of CTX110.

About CTX120TMCTX120 is a healthy donor-derived gene-edited allogeneic CAR-T therapy targeting B-cell maturation antigen, or BCMA. A wholly-owned asset of CRISPR Therapeutics, CTX120 is in a clinical trial designed to assess the safety and efficacy of CTX120 in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The multi-center, open-label clinical trial is designed to enroll up to 80 patients and investigate several dose levels of CTX120.

About CTX130TMCTX130 is a healthy donor-derived gene-edited allogeneic CAR-T therapy targeting CD70, an antigen expressed on hematologic cancers. A wholly-owned asset of CRISPR Therapeutics, CTX130 is in development for the treatment of both solid tumors, such as renal cell carcinoma, and T-cell and B-cell hematologic malignancies.

About CRISPR TherapeuticsCRISPR Therapeutics is a leading gene editing company focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases using its proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 platform. CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary gene editing technology that allows for precise, directed changes to genomic DNA. CRISPR Therapeutics has established a portfolio of therapeutic programs across a broad range of disease areas including hemoglobinopathies, oncology, regenerative medicine and rare diseases. To accelerate and expand its efforts, CRISPR Therapeutics has established strategic partnerships with leading companies including Bayer, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and ViaCyte, Inc. CRISPR Therapeutics AG is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, with its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, CRISPR Therapeutics, Inc., and R&D operations based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and business offices in San Francisco, California and London, United Kingdom. For more information, please visit http://www.crisprtx.com.

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CRISPR Forward-Looking StatementThis press release may contain a number of forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including statements regarding CRISPR Therapeutics expectations about any or all of the following: (i) the safety, efficacy and clinical progress of CRISPR Therapeutics various clinical programs including CTX001, CTX110, CTX120 and CTX130; (ii) the status of clinical trials (including, without limitation, the timing of filing of clinical trial applications and INDs, any approvals thereof and the timing of commencement of clinical trials), development timelines and discussions with regulatory authorities related to product candidates under development by CRISPR Therapeutics and its collaborators; (iii) the number of patients that will be evaluated, the anticipated date by which enrollment will be completed and the data that will be generated by ongoing and planned clinical trials, and the ability to use that data for the design and initiation of further clinical trials; (iv) the integration of Casebia Therapeutics; (v) the intellectual property coverage and positions of CRISPR Therapeutics, its licensors and third parties as well as the status and potential outcome of proceedings involving any such intellectual property; (vi) the sufficiency of CRISPR Therapeutics cash resources; ; (vii) the expected benefits of CRISPR Therapeutics collaborations, including those with Bayer, KSQ, ProBioGen, StrideBio and Vertex; and (viii) the therapeutic value, development, and commercial potential of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technologies and therapies. Without limiting the foregoing, the words believes, anticipates, plans, expects and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. You are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Although CRISPR Therapeutics believes that such statements are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and they are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk. Actual performance and results may differ materially from those projected or suggested in the forward-looking statements due to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: the potential for initial and preliminary data from any clinical trial (including CTX001, CTX110, CTX120 and CTX130) not to be indicative of final trial results; the risk that the initial data from a limited number of patients may not be indicative of results from the full planned study population; the outcomes for each CRISPR Therapeutics planned clinical trials and studies may not be favorable; that one or more of CRISPR Therapeutics internal or external product candidate programs will not proceed as planned for technical, scientific or commercial reasons; that future competitive or other market factors may adversely affect the commercial potential for CRISPR Therapeutics product candidates; uncertainties inherent in the initiation and completion of preclinical studies for CRISPR Therapeutics; availability and timing of results from preclinical studies; whether results from a preclinical trial will be predictive of future results of the future trials; uncertainties about regulatory approvals to conduct trials or to market products; uncertainties regarding the intellectual property protection for CRISPR Therapeutics technology and intellectual property belonging to third parties, and the outcome of proceedings (such as an interference, an opposition or a similar proceeding) involving all or any portion of such intellectual property; the risk that the CRISPR Therapeutics business and Casebia Therapeutics business will not be integrated successfully; and those risks and uncertainties described under the heading "Risk Factors" in CRISPR Therapeutics most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and in any other subsequent filings made by CRISPR Therapeutics with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. CRISPR Therapeutics disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, other than to the extent required by law.

Investor Contact:Susan Kimsusan.kim@crisprtx.com

Media Contact:Rachel EidesWCG on behalf of CRISPR617-337-4167 reides@wcgworld.com

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CRISPR Therapeutics Provides Business Update and Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2019 Financial Results - Yahoo Finance