Novartis announces Intellia Therapeutics and Caribou Biosciences alliances

Novartis has announced new drug discovery partnerships with Intellia Therapeutics and Caribou Biosciences based on a novel technology approach.

The company will work with Intellia for the discovery and development of new medicines using CRISPR genome editing technology, while the Caribou partnership will focus on the development of drug discovery tools.

Intellia and Caribou are two of the leading biotechnology companies pioneering the CRISPR approach, which allows scientists to easily and precisely edit the genes of targeted cells.

Novartis will receive rights to develop any new drug therapies that emerge from these collaborations, while the firm has also agreed to make an equity investment in Caribou.

Mark Fishman, president of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, said: "We have glimpsed the power of CRISPR tools in our scientific programs in NIBR, and it is now time to explore how to safely extend this powerful technology to the clinic."

The company is currently seeking to increase its focus on core areas of research, having completed the sale of its animal health business to Lilly earlier this month.