Press Release

CRISPR Therapeutics and Neon Therapeutics Enter Research Collaboration

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and BASEL, Switzerland, July 10, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP), a biopharmaceutical company focused on creating transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases, and Neon Therapeutics, an immuno-oncology company developing neoantigen-based therapeutic vaccines and T cell therapies to treat cancer, today announced a research collaboration to explore the combination of each company’s proprietary technologies to develop novel T cell therapies.

“Neon Therapeutics is committed to employ leading technologies, including CRISPR/Cas9, to improve the quality of our cell therapy approaches,” said Richard Gaynor, MD, president of research and development at Neon Therapeutics. “This collaboration will explore gene-based technologies from CRISPR Therapeutics with our expertise in neoantigen science and T cell biology.”

“We look forward to applying our proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 technologies in a variety of ways to generate potent T cell therapies directed against neoantigens. This collaboration with Neon Therapeutics supplements our internal efforts in immuno-oncology and broadens the spectrum of approaches we are able to explore,” said Samarth Kulkarni, president and chief business officer of CRISPR Therapeutics.

About CRISPR Therapeutics
CRISPR Therapeutics is a leading gene-editing company focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases using its proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing platform. CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary technology that allows for precise, directed changes to genomic DNA. The Company's multi-disciplinary team of world-class researchers and drug developers is working to translate this technology into breakthrough human therapeutics in a number of serious diseases. Additionally, CRISPR Therapeutics has established strategic collaborations with Bayer AG and Vertex Pharmaceuticals to develop CRISPR-based therapeutics in diseases with high unmet need. The foundational CRISPR/Cas9 patent estate for human therapeutic use was licensed from the Company's scientific founder Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier. CRISPR Therapeutics is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, with offices in London, United Kingdom, and R&D operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.crisprtx.com.

About Neon Therapeutics
Neon Therapeutics is an immuno-oncology company focused on developing novel therapeutics leveraging neoantigen biology to treat cancer. A neoantigen-based product engine allows Neon to develop multiple treatment modalities, including next-generation vaccines and T cell therapies targeting both personalized and shared neoantigens. Neon’s lead program is a personalized neoantigen vaccine that builds upon years of research and development at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and is in multiple clinical trials. For more information, please visit www.neontherapeutics.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements set forth in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, but not limited to, statements concerning: the intellectual property protection of our technology and therapies, the intellectual property positions of third parties, and the therapeutic value, development, and commercial potential of CRISPR/Cas-9 gene editing technologies and therapies. You are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Although the company believes that such statements are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, the forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and they are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk. Actual performance and results may differ materially from those projected or suggested in the forward-looking statements due to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: uncertainties regarding the intellectual property protection for our technology and intellectual property belonging to third parties; uncertainties inherent in the initiation and completion of preclinical studies for the Company’s product candidates; availability and timing of results from preclinical studies; whether results from a preclinical trial will be predictive of future results of the future trials; expectations for regulatory approvals to conduct trials or to market products; and those risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” in the company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and in any other subsequent filings made by the company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. The information contained in this press release is provided by the company as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, the company disclaims any intention or responsibility for updating or revising any forward-looking information contained in this press release.

CRISPR Contacts:

Media:
Jennifer Paganelli
WCG 347-658-8290
jpaganelli@wcgworld.com

Investors:
Chris Brinzey
Westwicke Partners
+1 339-970-2843
chris.brinzey@westwicke.com

Neon Contact:

Dan Quinn
Ten Bridge Communications, Inc.
781-475-7974
dan@tenbridgecommunications.com

CRISPR Therapeutics AG