Excision BioTherapeutics

Spun out of Temple University's Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Excision BioTherapeutics develops novel CRISPR-based gene editing therapeutics to treat viral infectious diseases by leveraging its drug discovery platform. It uses dual guide ribonucleic acid (gRNAs) to eradicate viral DNA and eliminate the chances of viral genes to reproduce. This would enable infected patients to stop taking antiretroviral therapies—therapies that prevent disease-causing genes from reproducing; however, they do not eliminate the disease from the body—that require patients to receive ongoing treatment. 

As of 2024, the company had four programs in its pipeline including its in vivo (gene editing done inside the body) lead candidate EBT-101 for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which entered Phase I/II clinical trials in January 2022, after proving its effectiveness in curing HIV in mice. The Cas9-based therapy was licensed from the researchers at Temple University and the University of Nebraska Medical Center to be advanced into clinical trials. The remaining three programs were in the preclinical stages. 

Key customers and partnerships

In 2017, Excision obtained exclusive licenses from University of California (UC) Berkeley to leverage the latter’s new CRISPR gene editors. 

Funding and financials

In September 2022, Excision BioTherapeutics received a grant for USD 6.85 million from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). The grant was awarded to Excision to support ongoing Phase 1/2 trial evaluating EBT-101 as a potential cure for HIV.