Horizon Discovery expands CRISPR licence

UK-based Horizon Discovery has broadened its gene editing capabilities through the amendment of a pre-existing licence with ERS Genomics to include the full commercial rights for the use of CRISPR.

With the changes in the licensing agreement, Horizon now has the right to use CRISPR-edited cell lines in biomanufacturing.

Following a recent global agreement between key CRISPR intellectual property owners (CRISPR Therapeutics, Intellia Therapeutics, Caribou Biosciences and ERS Genomics), the amended Horizon agreement also includes consent from all the patent co-owners to operate worldwide.

Darrin Disley, CEO of Horizon, said in a statement released yesterday, January 16: “Gene editing underpins Horizon’s operations, enabling us to be the go-to industry ‘cell builders’.”

He added that through the licence extension, Horizon now has a “deeper toolbox” of gene editing options.

Eric Rhodes, CEO of ERS Genomics, added: “The rapid adoption of gene editing, led by CRISPR, is transforming all areas of life sciences.

“We are pleased to be able to expand Horizon’s licence for the use of CRISPR to include GMP [good manufacturing practice] biomanufacturing applications, as they are exceptionally well positioned to support the needs of biotherapeutic manufacturers around the world,” he said.

Financial terms of the amendment were not disclosed.

Horizon has also entered into a two-year collaboration with Solentim—the developer of the Cell Metric, which helps to speed up cell line development—for the development of an automated manufacturing platform for the genome editing of mammalian cells.

The project is being financed by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, under the Collaborative Research in Manufacturing and Materials scheme for a total of £764,300 ($930,000), of which Horizon will receive £523,000.