Scribe Therapeutics has laid off just under 20% of its staff, the company confirmed to STAT on Wednesday, joining a slate of CRISPR gene editing companies to cut staff amid a prolonged downturn for the field.
Co-founded by CRISPR pioneer and Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna, Scribe was among a second generation of gene editing companies to emerge in the late 2010s. It promised to use engineering principles and a new CRISPR enzyme, called CasX, to create better and safer gene editors than those of other companies.
The company’s work on CasX attracted partnerships from Sanofi, Eli Lilly, and Biogen at a time when few large companies were investing heavily in gene editing. Sanofi is using the enzyme to create a safer, more scalable treatment for sickle cell disease, while Lilly and Biogen are pursuing neurological conditions.
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