Excision Bio: Using DNA to Cure Viral Infections

Eliminating Viruses at the Source

Despite advancements in treating infections like HIV, researchers are still searching for a definitive cure. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) drugs can increase an HIV patient’s life span considerably, but require continuous use and only restrict the virus in a latent state. Without providing a full cure, patients are prone to complications like HIV-related Dementia, and their infection can return if treatment is halted.

Researchers believe gene editing can help eliminate retroviruses like HIV that integrate into the genome of infected individuals. CRISPR is a series of DNA sequences that can be used to modify genes and correct mutations to prevent or eliminate diseases. Instead of merely stifling the effects of infections, gene editing can attack and eliminate viruses at the source.

Excision Bio uses a combination of ART drugs and CRISPR-based gene editing to suppress the virus and clear HIV DNA lurking in the cells. The company’s proprietary ViraSuite platform uses algorithms to design quick and efficient gene editing therapeutics for virtually any virus. Unlike other CRISPR applications, Excision increases viral specificity and eliminates the possibility that viruses can replicate or escape the host immune system following treatment.

Excision has already demonstrated the first functional cure for HIV in animals and has preliminary data from non-human primate studies. They are one of only three companies with positive CRISPR results in animals.

The company has also established proof-of-concept using CRISPR to excise Herpes Simplex Virus, Hepatitis B virus, and John Cunningham Virus genomes from cell lines, a first step towards clinical applications. Additionally, Excision is working on advanced combinatorial DNA treatments in relation to existing Multiple Sclerosis (MS) medications.

Recognizing Significant Market Potential

Excision has also developed a robust IP portfolio across 20 countries and they have exclusively licensed newer CRISPR systems from UC Berkeley, which helps them de-risk the technology and avoid the industry’s murky business landscape. Their IP alone could already garner them a significant exit.

This is due in part to the valuation of the HIV and HSV treatment markets, set to hit $25.5 billion by 2030 and $3 billion by 2028, respectively. Additionally, Excision’s ability to develop therapeutics for any human virus opens up a serviceable market (including HPV, Ebola, Zika, Influenza, etc.) expected to hit $164.6 billion by 2032. The company is led by a well-rounded team of clinicians, advisors, academic researchers, and industry veterans with the experience necessary to tackle these broader markets.