CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP) Strikes $95M Deal with Sirius to Develop Blood Clot Drug

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) has entered a $95 million upfront partnership with China-based Sirius Therapeutics to co-develop an siRNA drug targeting blood clotting disorders. This marks a strategic shift for CRISPR, traditionally focused on gene editing, recognizing that siRNA’s reversible gene silencing offers advantages for some conditions where permanent DNA edits are risky, such as inhibiting factor XI, a clotting protein, where gene editing could cause bleeding complications.

Under the deal, CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) will pay $25 million upfront plus a $70 million equity investment in Sirius. Both companies will share development costs and profits equally, with CRSP handling U.S. commercialization and Sirius covering Greater China. The siRNA drug, SRSD107, showed promising Phase 1 results by reducing factor XI levels up to 95% and is advancing toward a Phase 3 trial by late 2026.

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP)'s CEO, Samarth Kulkarni, highlighted the complementary nature of siRNA and gene editing, stating siRNA’s quicker regulatory path accelerates commercialization compared to gene editing’s longer timeline. The company retains excitement about its CRISPR-based cardiovascular programs, including ANGPTL3 and lipoprotein(a) gene edits, but is open to licensing more siRNA assets from Sirius. This diversified approach aims to build a best-in-class cardiovascular franchise by applying the most appropriate technology for each target.

Shortly after, Piper Sandler analyst Raghuram Selvaraju maintained an Overweight rating on CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) with a $50 price target, citing the Sirius collaboration as a potential near-term revenue catalyst.

While we acknowledge the potential of CRSP to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk.  If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than CRSP and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 10 Best Cancer Stocks to Invest in for Long-Term Gains and 10 Most Oversold Stocks to Buy According to Billionaires.

Disclosure: None.