CRISPR Therapeutics Announces the Build-Out of New Cell Therapy Manufacturing Facility

-State-of-the-art facility to be located in Framingham, Massachusetts-

-New facility intended to support clinical and commercial production of investigational cell therapies-

ZUG, Switzerland and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CRISPR Therapeutics (Nasdaq: CRSP), a biopharmaceutical company focused on creating transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases, today announced that it is building a new cell therapy manufacturing facility in Framingham, Massachusetts for clinical and commercial production of the Company’s investigational cell therapy product candidates.

“We look forward to building a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, which will accelerate our programs and allow us to scale for commercial supply. We are thankful for the support from the City of Framingham and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and we look forward to bringing our facility online rapidly,” said Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of CRISPR Therapeutics. “In addition to building out this internal manufacturing capacity, we will continue to work closely with our key manufacturing partners globally."

As the facility becomes fully operational, the Company expects to hire up to approximately 100 full-time employees. The new facility is being designed to provide GMP manufacturing according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) regulations and guidelines to support clinical supply and commercial product upon potential regulatory approval.   

About CRISPR Therapeutics

CRISPR Therapeutics is a leading gene editing company focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases using its proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 platform. CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary gene editing technology that allows for precise, directed changes to genomic DNA. CRISPR Therapeutics has established a portfolio of therapeutic programs across a broad range of disease areas including hemoglobinopathies, oncology, regenerative medicine and rare diseases. To accelerate and expand its efforts, CRISPR Therapeutics has established strategic collaborations with leading companies including Bayer AG, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and ViaCyte, Inc. CRISPR Therapeutics AG is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, with its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, CRISPR Therapeutics, Inc., and R&D operations based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and business offices in London, United Kingdom. For more information, please visit .

CRISPR Therapeutics Forward-Looking Statement

This press release may contain a number of “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including statements regarding CRISPR Therapeutics’ expectations about any or all of the following:  (i) the scope and timing of the manufacturing facility build-out; (ii) its ability to accelerate its clinical programs and provide commercial-scale manufacturing; (iii) employee headcount at the manufacturing facility; and (iv) its relationships with existing contract manufacturing organizations.  Without limiting the foregoing, the words “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.  You are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Although CRISPR Therapeutics believes that such statements are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and they are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk. Actual performance and results may differ materially from those projected or suggested in the forward-looking statements due to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: the potential impacts due to the coronavirus pandemic, such as construction delays  and the overall impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its business, financial condition and results of operations; that future competitive or other market factors may adversely affect the commercial potential for CRISPR Therapeutics’ product candidates; uncertainties inherent in the operation of a manufacturing facility, including regulatory approvals; uncertainties regarding the intellectual property protection for CRISPR Therapeutics’ technology and intellectual property belonging to third parties; and those risks and uncertainties described under the heading "Risk Factors" in CRISPR Therapeutics’ most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and in any other subsequent filings made by CRISPR Therapeutics with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available on the SEC's website at . Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. CRISPR Therapeutics disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, other than to the extent required by law.

CRISPR Investor Contact:

Susan Kim

CRISPR Media Contact:

Rachel Eides

WCG on behalf of CRISPR