Graphite Bio Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of novel gene editing therapies for patients with serious diseases. The company was founded in 2019 by Dr. Joshua Mandel-Brehm, a scientist and entrepreneur, and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Graphite Bio's mission is to develop transformative gene editing therapies that can cure genetic diseases that are not addressed by current treatments.
Graphite Bio is developing a proprietary gene editing platform called the "Nanoparticle-Enabled Gene Editing" (NEED) platform. This platform is designed to deliver gene editing machinery directly to cells in a patient's body. The company believes that this platform has the potential to revolutionize the way that genetic diseases are treated. The company's lead therapeutic candidate is a treatment for sickle cell disease, a genetic disease that affects millions of people worldwide.
Graphite Bio became a public company on November 19, 2021, following a successful initial public offering (IPO) on the NASDAQ stock exchange. The company raised $238 million in gross proceeds from the offering, which it plans to use to advance the development of its pipeline of gene editing therapies. The IPO was led by J.P. Morgan, Jefferies, and Cowen.
In addition to its lead program in sickle cell disease, Graphite Bio is also developing gene editing therapies for other genetic diseases, including genetic diseases of the liver and lung. The company's approach to gene editing is based on a deep understanding of the underlying biology of these diseases, as well as the latest advances in gene editing technology.