BiQ: Are Base Editing and Prime Editing the Same as CRISPR? (BEAM PRME)

I occasionally get questions from members asking about the differences between Base Editing (BEAM), Prime Editing (PRME), and CRISPR-Cas9. Many members aren't sure whether there's a real difference, or if BEAM and PRME are just two more "CRISPR Companies".

The answer is pretty straightforward. Both Beam Editing and Prime Editing utilize some foundational CRISPR-Cas9 technology; however, they differ significantly from traditional CRISPR-based gene editing. One should think of them as next-generation evolutions of CRISPR that still share some foundational technology.

From a licensing standpoint, both companies pay licensing fees to the various academic institutions that originally developed CRISPR. Some of the fees paid by BEAM pass through Editas, which is also a licensee of CRISPR.

However, both Base Editing and Prime Editing are also significantly differentiated from standard CRISPR-Cas9. These differences are what make these two companies very interesting to me, and why I consider them foundational technologies, despite their relationship to CRISPR-Cas9.

The contributions of CRISPR-Cas9 shouldn't be underestimated. For the first time, it enabled the direct and efficient in vivo modification of DNA, sparking a revolution across the biotech industry. All currently approved gene editing therapeutics, as well as most in development, rely on CRISPR-Cas9 technology. The disadvantages of this approach include the potential for large deletions and chromosomal rearrangements resulting from double-strand breaks, as well as off-target edits due to lower precision.

Base Editing, currently being developed by Beam Therapeutics (BEAM), builds on this foundation but uses a very different mechanism. Base Editing directly alters the structure of individual nucleobases, transforming one nucleobase into another. This does not require any double-strand breaks, has better precision, and results in safer gene edits. However, the type of edits that Base Editing can perform is somewhat limited.

Prime Editing, developed by Prime Medicine (PRME), represents the latest advancement in gene editing, enabling extremely precise insertions and deletions without the need for double-strand breaks, for all base-pair combinations with the highest level of safety and precision.

One interesting fact is that all three technologies were developed or co-developed by Dr. David Liu, the original inventor of CRISPR-Cas9.

In summary, while all three technologies are related, I consider both Beam Editing and Prime Editing to be foundational technologies in their own right, both building on earlier work pioneered by Dr. Liu.

As BiQ members are probably aware, I am very bullish on the long-term potential for gene editing. The industry is still in very early innings, and while investor interest may have waned over the past few years, the technology has continued to advance. I firmly believe that we are approaching an inflection point for the industry, and this remains a key theme at BiQ. However, being selective is critical. Not all gene editing companies are the same, and not all will be winners.

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