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§ Private Profile · Philadelphia, PA, USA
Biotechnology company developing CRISPR gene editing therapies to eliminate chronic viral infections like HIV, herpes, hepatitis B.
Excision BioTherapeutics has raised $70.8M across 3 funding rounds.
Key people at Excision BioTherapeutics.
Excision BioTherapeutics has raised $70.8M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Excision BioTherapeutics is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based biotechnology company that develops CRISPR-based gene editing therapies designed to permanently eliminate chronic viral infections from human cells and tissues. The organization focuses on creating potential single-shot treatments that physically cut and remove viral genetic material rather than merely suppressing replication, specifically targeting severe conditions such as HIV, herpes, and hepatitis B. Operating with a workforce of 51 employees across additional laboratory facilities in San Francisco and Cambridge, the enterprise secured $60 million in financing during 2021 to advance its primary HIV clinical trials. This significant equity funding round was supported by notable venture capital investors including Artis Ventures and Vasudev Bailey, while the company's core underlying technology stems from early research conducted at Temple University. Excision BioTherapeutics was officially founded in 2015 by Daniel Dornbusch and Kamel Khalili.
Excision BioTherapeutics has raised $70.8M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $60.0M Series A in February 2021.
Key people at Excision BioTherapeutics.
Excision BioTherapeutics has raised $70.8M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Excision BioTherapeutics's investors include Ashok Krishnamurthi, Alumni Ventures, Artis Ventures (AV), Better Tomorrow Ventures, Correlation Ventures, FPV Fund, Jetstream, Third Kind Ventures, Louis Beryl, Marc Benioff, Adjuvant Capital, Anzu Partners.
Excision BioTherapeutics is a biotechnology company founded in 2015 and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area (with operations linked to Philadelphia, PA), specializing in CRISPR-based gene-editing therapies to cure chronic viral infectious diseases such as HIV, herpes simplex viruses (HSV 1&2), and hepatitis B virus (HBV).[1][2][3][4] The company develops treatments that target and inactivate viral DNA in infected cells, addressing unmet needs for patients with lifelong viral infections by aiming for permanent cures rather than symptom management.[2][3] Its lead program, EBT-101, is a CRISPR-Cas9 therapy for HIV that received FDA fast-track status in July 2023, with early-stage data from 2023 showing safety and tolerability in three patients, though efficacy data was not yet disclosed; the pipeline also advances preclinical programs like EBT-107 for HBV, with positive safety and potency data presented in September 2025.[1][2][4]
Excision serves patients with chronic viral diseases, solving the problem of persistent viral reservoirs that evade traditional antivirals through its multiplexed gene-editing platform, which optimizes guide RNAs for high efficacy and low off-target effects via computational design.[2][3] Growth momentum includes foundational tech from academic pioneers, clinical proof-of-concept for HIV, recent preclinical advancements for HBV and HSV, and endorsements from experts like CRISPR co-inventor Jennifer Doudna and former NIH Director Francis Collins, positioning it amid rising CRISPR adoption in virology.[2][3]
Excision BioTherapeutics emerged from groundbreaking research in the lab of Kamel Khalili, a professor at Temple University, who initiated early investigations into CRISPR-Cas9 for HIV excision, later joined by contributions from Jennifer Doudna's lab at UC Berkeley, co-inventor of CRISPR.[1][2][3] Founded in 2015, the company licensed this proprietary technology to translate academic discoveries—such as 2019 preclinical studies eliminating HIV from animal genomes, highlighted in Nature Medicine and praised by experts including Robert Gallo, co-discoverer of HIV—into clinical therapies.[3]
Pivotal early moments included 2019 publications drawing NIH attention and TIME coverage, validating the approach's potential for viral eradication.[3] The company quickly advanced EBT-101 to clinic, earning FDA fast-track designation in 2023 and reporting positive Phase 1 safety data by late 2023, while expanding its virology platform to HSV and HBV amid growing investor interest in gene editing.[1][2][4]
Excision stands out in the gene-editing field through these key strengths:
Excision rides the CRISPR therapeutics wave, capitalizing on post-2020 approvals like Casgevy for sickle cell, which validated ex vivo editing and paved regulatory paths for in vivo viral cures.[1][2] Timing aligns with surging demand for antiviral innovations amid antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threats and persistent epidemics—HIV affects 39 million globally, HBV 296 million—where standard drugs fail to eradicate reservoirs.[4]
Market forces favor it: falling CRISPR delivery costs (e.g., AAV vectors), AI-driven guide design, and $10B+ gene therapy funding in 2025 amplify scalability.[2][4] Excision influences the ecosystem by proving CRISPR's virology potential, inspiring pipelines against other viruses (e.g., HPV, CMV) and shifting paradigms from lifelong suppression to cures, as noted in 2025 analyses on HIV/HSK therapies.[3][4]
Excision is poised for near-term milestones, including full EBT-101 HIV efficacy readout, HBV (EBT-107) IND filing post-2025 preclinical data, and HSV programs targeting keratitis unmet needs.[2][4] Shaping trends—AI-optimized editing, next-gen delivery like LNPs, and combo therapies—could propel Phase 2/3 trials by 2027, with partnerships (e.g., big pharma buy-ins) accelerating commercialization.[2][4]
Its influence may evolve from HIV pioneer to multi-virus platform leader, potentially capturing first-mover advantage in a $50B+ curative antivirals market if safety scales. As a private biotech with strong validation, watch for IPO or acquisition as CRISPR cures materialize, fulfilling early promises of viral eradication.[3][4]
