NEW YORK – Gene editing analysis company SeQure Dx said on Tuesday that it has closed a $17.5 million Series A funding round, led by RiverVest Venture Partners and Mass General Brigham Ventures.
Digitalis Ventures, Casdin Capital, KdT Ventures, Bold Capital Partners, and Alexandria Venture Investments also participated in the financing.
SeQure Dx was founded on the exclusive licensure of GUIDE-seq, ONE-seq, and related assay technologies for the detection of off-target events induced by CRISPR and other gene editing technologies. GUIDE-seq was developed in 2015 by SeQure's scientific founder and Massachusetts General Hospital researcher Keith Joung, and his colleagues at the MGH department of pathology. ONE-seq was developed earlier this year. Joung is also the chair of the company's scientific advisory board.
The firm said it will use the funds from the financing round for initial company development, including the establishment of a full-service laboratory that will provide off-target gene editing analysis for use in drug development, clinical trials, and the evaluation of patients prior to therapy. SeQure also said it plans to expand its offerings via internal development, partnership, and further licensure.
"Methods for defining potential off-target effects of gene editing technologies play an important role in advancing these modalities for the benefit of patients," Joung said in a statement. "I am excited about the possibilities presented by making off-target assay capabilities accessible to those who seek to develop gene editing therapeutics."