NEW YORK – HuidaGene Therapeutics said Wednesday that it has licensed a CRISPR genome editing enzyme to Synthego.
Under the terms of the deal, HuidaGene has granted Synthego manufacturing and commercialization rights for its high-fidelity Cas12 nuclease, known as hfCas12Max, as well as the right to sublicense the nuclease for therapeutic use.
Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"The combination of our advanced CRISPR GMP production capabilities and regulatory expertise with HuidaGene's next-generation nuclease technology is a crucial step toward advancing transformative cell and gene therapies," Synthego CEO Craig Christianson said in a statement. "The integration of hfCas12Max naturally aligns with our initiative to enhance the accessibility and efficiency of CRISPR tools."
In addition to editing performance, the hfCas12Max system fits into a single viral vector, an important requirement for many cell and gene therapies, the firms said.
Shanghai-based HuidaGene has developed novel CRISPR-Cas systems using its HG-Precise platform, including hfCas12Max.
In March, Synthego, based in Redwood City, California, spun off its engineered cell and CRISPR guide RNA business as EditCo Bio to focus on the therapeutic applications of CRISPR.