Spanish biotech Integra Therapeutics has upped its arsenal of gene editing tools by licensing Caszyme’s Cas12I nucleases, the company announced on Nov. 4.
Under the deal, Caszyme will receive milestone payments of up to 40 million euros (about $43.5 million) in addition to royalties on sales, according to the release.
Integra will merge the nucleases, which are enzymes that cut DNA, into its gene editing platform FiCAT 2.0, the company said. Cas12I is a small and versatile enzyme, Integra said, with data already showing that Caszyme’s version of it works in human cells.
“The integration of Caszyme nucleases into our FiCAT 2.0 platform strengthens Integra Therapeutics’ mission to develop the highest-quality gene and cell therapy products for the treatment of a wide range of genetic and oncological diseases,” Integra co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer Marc Güell, Ph.D., said in the release.
FiCAT stands for find and cut-and-transfer, and the platform combines CRISPR technology with an enzyme that carries a therapeutic gene and inserts it into the genome at a targeted location.
The first edition of FiCAT used well-established Cas9 nucleases, which have different properties than Cas12I, Integra said in the release. The unique properties of Cas12I mean that Integra can pursue new therapeutic applications with their technology, the company added.
Integra received up to 10.5 million euros (about $11.4 million) from the European Commission in July to develop therapies using FiCAT, including cell therapies for rare diseases, autoimmune diseases and oncology.