NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – The UK's Horizon Discovery Group and Fulcrum Therapeutics have announced a collaboration to use CRISPR/Cas9-based screening to identify drug targets in genetic diseases.
Under the terms of the agreement, Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Fulcrum will use Horizon's CRISPR screening platform to find targets for regulating gene expression in diseases with no current treatment options. The collaboration will last approximately six months and will be done under a full-time equivalent plus consumables model.
Financial and other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"CRISPR-based screening promises to be a powerful tool for the identification of novel targets and the collaboration with Fulcrum demonstrates the potential for this technology to be used in areas outside of oncology," Horizon CEO Darrin Disley said in a statement. "This partnership confirms Horizon's role as a preferred partner not only for established biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, but also for startups looking for long-term collaborations rather than having to build in-house capabilities."
Last week, Horizon announced a partnership with Roche subsidiary Ventana Medical Systems to create reference standards for immunohistochemistry in cancer diagnostics.