Excision BioTherapeutics Secures $60 Million to Advance CRISPR-Based Gene Editing Constructs Developed at Temple into Clinical Trial for People Living with Chronic HIV Infection

Excision BioTherapeutics, Inc. (Excision) has secured $60 million in investor financing to advance CRISPR-based gene editing constructs developed by Kamel Khalili, PhD, Laura H. Carnell Professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience, Director of the Center for Neurovirology, and Director of the Comprehensive NeuroAIDS Center at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM). The funding will allow these treatments to be advanced into a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in patients with chronic HIV infection. The funding secured by Excision will also provide Temple scientists and Excision the ability to research CRISPR technology on other viral diseases at LKSOM including JC Virus for Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy, Herpes Simplex Virus and other viral diseases. Dr. Khalili serves as Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Consultant, and holds equity in Excision, which has licensed the viral gene editing technology from Temple University. The Philadelphia Business Journal, Endpoints News and PhillyVoice highlighted the news.