Precision BioSciences
Precision BioSciences is an American clinical-stage biotechnology company developing gene-editing therapies through its proprietary ARCUS platform.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Precision BioSciences, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, focused on the development of gene-editing medicines. The company was founded in 2006 by Duke University researchers Derek Jantz and Jeff Smith together with Matt Kane, who was then a student at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. Its scientific and commercial identity is centered on ARCUS, a proprietary genome-editing platform derived from the naturally occurring I-CreI homing endonuclease found in the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. ARCUS is designed to make highly specific cuts in DNA and support several forms of genome modification, including gene insertion, gene excision, gene disruption, and gene repair. The platform can be used in both ex vivo and in vivo applications. In ex vivo programs, cells are edited outside the body before being administered to patients; this approach has been used by Precision in the development of allogeneic, or donor-derived, CAR T-cell therapies intended to function as off-the-shelf cancer treatments. In vivo programs aim to deliver editing machinery directly into tissues, using delivery systems such as adeno-associated viral vectors or lipid nanoparticles. A key feature emphasized by Precision is the relatively compact size of ARCUS nucleases compared with commonly used SpCas9-based systems. The platform is also designed to make a distinctive DNA cut with four-base-pair, three-prime overhangs and to self-inactivate after editing, an approach intended to reduce prolonged nuclease activity and potential off-target effects. These characteristics have been presented as potentially useful for multiplex editing and for complex genetic modifications that may be difficult to accomplish with a single conventional editing step. Precision's development portfolio has included allogeneic CAR T-cell candidates for blood cancers, including B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. Its reported candidates have included PBCAR0191, an anti-CD19 program; PBCAR19B, an anti-CD19 stealth-cell program; and PBCAR269A, an allogeneic CAR T-cell therapy directed at B-cell maturation antigen. PBCAR0191 received U.S. Food and Drug Administration orphan-drug and fast-track designations for specified hematological malignancy indications, while PBCAR269A received orphan-drug and fast-track designations in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The company has also pursued in vivo editing programs for genetic and metabolic diseases. Examples described in public materials include PBGENE-PCSK9 for familial hypercholesterolemia and PBGENE-PH1 for primary hyperoxaluria type 1. Precision has reported preclinical work involving ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency and chronic hepatitis B, illustrating the intended breadth of its delivery and editing platform beyond oncology. Precision completed its initial public offering in 2019 and trades on the Nasdaq under the symbol DTIL. It expanded its external collaborations through agreements with Eli Lilly, Tiziana Life Sciences, and iECURE. In 2021, Michael Amoroso, formerly associated with Abeona Therapeutics, became president and chief executive officer, succeeding Matt Kane. The company also agreed to separate its food and agriculture subsidiary, Elo Life Systems, into an independent business backed by outside investors. Precision's current brand positioning is therefore that of a specialized gene-editing developer whose value proposition rests on the precision, compactness, delivery flexibility, and range of editing operations offered by ARCUS.
History
Precision BioSciences was established in 2006 by Derek Jantz and Jeff Smith, who had met as postdoctoral fellows at Duke University, together with Matt Kane, a Duke Fuqua School of Business student at the time. The founders built the company around the development of programmable genome-editing technology based on I-CreI, a naturally occurring homing endonuclease from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The resulting ARCUS platform became the company's central scientific asset and the basis for its subsequent therapeutic programs. The company raised early capital through a Series A financing led by venBio, followed by a Series B round intended to support product-development activities. Its business evolved from platform development toward therapeutic applications in oncology and genetic disease. Precision pursued both ex vivo editing, in which cells are modified outside the body, and in vivo editing, in which the editing system is delivered directly to target tissues. ARCUS nucleases are designed to recognize specific DNA sequences and create distinctive four-base-pair, three-prime overhangs. Precision has described the system as capable of carrying out gene insertion, excision, disruption, and repair, including combinations of edits in a single operation. The nucleases are comparatively compact relative to SpCas9, potentially supporting delivery through adeno-associated virus vectors and lipid nanoparticles. The company has also emphasized a self-inactivation feature intended to limit the duration of nuclease activity after editing. In the clinical arena, Precision developed allogeneic CAR T-cell candidates aimed at producing off-the-shelf treatments for hematological cancers. PBCAR0191 targeted CD19 and entered a Phase 1/2a study in adults in 2019. It received FDA orphan-drug designation for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and mantle cell lymphoma, as well as fast-track designation for B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In 2022, the company reported encouraging response data from the study while seeking to expand enrollment. PBCAR19B, another CD19-directed candidate, used a gene edit intended to reduce beta-2 microglobulin expression and entered a Phase 1 study in 2021. PBCAR269A targeted B-cell maturation antigen for multiple myeloma and progressed from an initial Phase 1 study into a Phase 1/2a program, including evaluation with the gamma-secretase inhibitor nirogacestat. It received orphan-drug and fast-track designations for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Precision also expanded its in vivo pipeline. Publicly described programs included PBGENE-PCSK9 for familial hypercholesterolemia and PBGENE-PH1 for primary hyperoxaluria type 1. Preclinical work included editing approaches for ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency in nonhuman primates and the use of lipid nanoparticles in a chronic hepatitis B program. These efforts reflected the company's attempt to apply one platform across inherited disorders, metabolic disease, infectious disease, and cancer. A major partnership milestone came in November 2020, when Precision entered into a collaboration with Eli Lilly covering up to six in vivo targets associated with genetic disorders, beginning with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In September 2021, Precision announced additional collaborations with Tiziana Life Sciences and iECURE. The Tiziana relationship examined the use of foralumab in connection with CAR T-cell therapy, while the iECURE collaboration focused on advancing candidates into clinical testing and exploring ARCUS applications in liver disease. Leadership changed in October 2021, when Michael Amoroso became president and chief executive officer after Matt Kane's tenure. In December of that year, Precision announced an agreement to spin out Elo Life Systems, its food and agriculture subsidiary, as an independent company with investment led by ACCELR8. This transaction narrowed the direct corporate focus of Precision around therapeutic gene editing while allowing Elo to pursue agricultural and food applications separately. Precision completed its initial public offering in 2019 and trades on Nasdaq under DTIL. Its history is defined by the progression from a Duke-originated editing platform to a public clinical-stage biotechnology company, with a portfolio combining engineered cell therapies, direct in vivo editing, partnerships with larger pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and selective corporate restructuring.
- 2022
Reported PBCAR0191 clinical data
[1]Precision reported response and complete-response results from the PBCAR0191 study and sought to increase enrollment.
- 2021
Leadership transition
[1]Michael Amoroso became president and chief executive officer, succeeding Matt Kane.
- 2021
Elo Life Systems spin-off agreement
[1]Precision announced plans to establish Elo Life Systems as an independent food and agriculture company.
- 2020
Eli Lilly collaboration
[1]Precision entered an agreement with Eli Lilly to apply ARCUS to up to six in vivo genetic-disorder targets.
- 2019
Initial public offering
[1]Precision BioSciences completed its IPO and began trading on Nasdaq under the symbol DTIL.
- 2019
PBCAR0191 enters clinical testing
[1]The CD19-directed allogeneic CAR T-cell candidate began a Phase 1/2a study in adults.
- 2006
Company founded
[1]Derek Jantz, Jeff Smith, and Matt Kane founded Precision BioSciences after the scientific founders met at Duke University.
Products and positioning
A specialized clinical-stage gene-editing company differentiated by its proprietary ARCUS nuclease platform, with programs spanning off-the-shelf cell therapies and direct in vivo editing.
Genome-editing platform
ARCUS
ARCUS is Precision BioSciences' proprietary genome-editing platform based on engineered I-CreI homing endonucleases. It is intended to make highly specific DNA cuts and support gene insertion, excision, disruption, and repair. The platform's compact nucleases can be paired with viral or lipid-nanoparticle delivery and are being applied to both ex vivo cell therapies and in vivo gene-editing programs.
Allogeneic CAR T-cell therapy · 2019
PBCAR0191
PBCAR0191 is an investigational allogeneic CAR T-cell candidate directed against CD19. It was developed for B-cell malignancies, including B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and selected forms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The program entered a Phase 1/2a clinical study and received FDA orphan-drug and fast-track designations for specified indications.
Allogeneic CAR T-cell therapy · 2021
PBCAR19B
PBCAR19B is an investigational anti-CD19 stealth allogeneic CAR T-cell candidate. Its design includes a gene edit intended to reduce beta-2 microglobulin expression, with the aim of influencing immune recognition and persistence characteristics. A Phase 1 study began in 2021.
Allogeneic CAR T-cell therapy · 2020
PBCAR269A
PBCAR269A is an investigational allogeneic CAR T-cell therapy targeting B-cell maturation antigen for multiple myeloma. The program began in Phase 1 testing and subsequently moved toward a Phase 1/2a study, including combination evaluation with nirogacestat. It received FDA orphan-drug and fast-track designations for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.
In vivo gene-editing therapy
PBGENE-PCSK9
PBGENE-PCSK9 is an investigational in vivo gene-editing program intended to address familial hypercholesterolemia through editing of the PCSK9 pathway. It represents Precision's effort to apply ARCUS directly within the body rather than exclusively through edited cell products.
In vivo gene-editing therapy
PBGENE-PH1
PBGENE-PH1 is an investigational program for primary hyperoxaluria type 1. It is part of Precision's in vivo pipeline for inherited metabolic disease and is intended to use ARCUS-based editing to address the underlying genetic cause.
Brand decisions
2021
Separate Elo Life Systems from Precision BioSciencesStrategyBackground
Precision had developed food and agriculture activities alongside its therapeutic gene-editing business.
Action taken
The company announced an agreement with a syndicate led by ACCELR8 to spin off Elo Life Systems as an independent company.
Aftermath
The transaction was intended to give Elo an independent focus on food and agriculture while allowing Precision to concentrate more directly on therapeutic gene editing. Financial terms are not provided in the reference material.
2021
Appoint Michael Amoroso as chief executiveOtherBackground
Precision sought leadership with experience in the cell and gene therapy sector as its clinical pipeline advanced.
Action taken
Michael Amoroso succeeded Matt Kane as president and chief executive officer in October 2021.
Aftermath
The change marked a transition from founder-led leadership toward management led by an executive with prior experience at Abeona Therapeutics.
2020
Enter strategic collaboration with Eli LillyStrategyBackground
Precision sought to extend ARCUS beyond internal programs and secure support for multiple in vivo genetic-disease targets.
Action taken
The company entered an agreement with Eli Lilly covering up to six in vivo targets, beginning with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Aftermath
The agreement expanded external validation and potential application of ARCUS in inherited disease, although the available reference material does not provide financial terms or later program outcomes.
Recent events
- 2021
Precision announces collaborations with Tiziana Life Sciences and iECURE[1]
Other
The collaborations explored applications involving CAR T-cell therapy and liver-disease gene-editing programs.
- 2021
Michael Amoroso succeeds Matt Kane as chief executive[1]
Leadership change
Michael Amoroso became president and chief executive officer, succeeding co-founder Matt Kane.
- 2021
Elo Life Systems is separated into an independent company[1]
M&A
Precision announced an agreement with investors led by ACCELR8 to spin off Elo Life Systems, its food and agriculture subsidiary.
- 2020
Precision BioSciences and Eli Lilly enter gene-editing collaboration[1]
M&A
The companies agreed to use the ARCUS platform against up to six in vivo targets associated with genetic disorders, initially including Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
- 2019
Precision BioSciences completes initial public offering[1]
Other
The company became publicly traded and began trading on Nasdaq under the ticker DTIL.
Sources4 sources
- 1Precision BioSciencesen.wikipedia.org
- 2Precision BioSciences Appoints Michael Amoroso Chief Executive Officerbiospace.com
- 3Precision BioSciences Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2019 Financial Results and Provides Business Updatebiospace.com
- 4Precision BioSciences Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2020 Financial Results and Provides Business Updatebiospace.com
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