AgBiome Partners with ElevateBio to Launch LifeEDIT Therapeutics

Smith Anderson client AgBiome, a leader in developing innovative products from the Earth’s microbial communities, announced that LifeEDIT Therapeutics, formed by AgBiome to develop AgBiome’s world-class genome editing platform for human therapeutics applications, has joined the growing portfolio of ElevateBio, a Cambridge-based cell and gene therapy holding company.

LifeEDIT Therapeutics pairs AgBiome’s highly innovative genome editing platform, derived from AgBiome’s proprietary microbial library, with ElevateBio’s proven expertise in the discovery and development of new cell and gene therapies. According to the press release issued by AgBiome, LifeEDIT Therapeutics will continue to develop internal cell and gene therapies while further strengthening its platform of diverse genome-editing enzymes and provide gene editing expertise to strategic partners, including ElevateBio portfolio companies. AgBiome retains rights for gene editing in agriculture, animal health, and diagnostics.

Genome editing technologies have revolutionized the way cell and gene therapies and regenerative medicines are discovered and developed by allowing genetic material to be removed, added, or altered at specific locations in the genome. While these technologies are in widespread use experimentally, enzymes that offer broader coverage and greater specificity are needed for creating novel cell and gene therapies. According to the press release, LifeEDIT Therapeutics’ next generation editing systems will propel the development of novel human therapeutics by enabling ex vivo engineering for cell therapies and regenerative medicines and in vivo delivery of gene therapies.

To read the full press release, please click here.

Smith Anderson’s Chambers Global-rated AgTech practice advises companies in all phases of technology development and commercialization, including in areas such as genome editing, gene discovery, trait development and licensing, crop protection, cloud biology, plant-made pharmaceuticals, microbials, systems biology, animal health, biofuels and precision agriculture. In addition, the team advises AgTech companies on protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights, including trademark prosecution, maintenance and counselling, advertising counselling and strategic litigation risk management.

The team advising AgBiome in the collaboration was led by John Therien and Megan Lambert.

About AgBiome

AgBiome® partners with the microbial world to improve our planet. AgBiome discovers and develops innovative biological and trait products for crop protection. The proprietary GENESIS™ discovery platform efficiently captures diverse, unique microbes for agriculturally relevant applications, and screens them with industry-best assays for insect, disease, and nematode control. For more information, visit http://agbiome.com.