What Caribou Biosciences does

Caribou Biosciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing allogeneic (off-the-shelf) genome-edited cell therapies for hematologic malignancies. Founded in 2011 by Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna and Martin Jinek, the company is headquartered in Berkeley, California, and is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the ticker CRBU. Its proprietary chRDNA (CRISPR hybrid RNA-DNA) genome-editing platform enables multiplex gene knockouts and insertions while reducing off-target binding affinity, serving as the foundation for all of Caribou's product candidates.

The company's pipeline centers on two lead clinical programs: vispa-cel (CB-010), an allogeneic anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy armored with a PD-1 knockout for relapsed/refractory B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and CB-011, an allogeneic anti-BCMA CAR-T therapy engineered with a B2M-HLA-E fusion for immune cloaking in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Earlier-stage programs include CB-012 (anti-CLL-1 CAR-T for acute myeloid leukemia) and CB-020 (iPSC-derived CAR-NK for solid tumors). Phase 1 ANTLER data showed 82% ORR / 67% CR with 17.1-month median PFS in second-line LBCL patients, and CaMMouflage data showed 92% ORR / 83% CR with 91% MRD-negativity in BCMA-naïve myeloma, with no graft-versus-host disease reported across 48 treated patients. ANTLER-3, a pivotal Phase 3 trial at 75 global sites with planned enrollment of 250 patients, is now underway.

Caribou is pre-revenue with no approved products and operates a sales-led go-to-market strategy contingent on future FDA approvals, anticipating distribution via specialty pharmacy and hospital channels typical of oncology cell therapies. Revenue potential will be one-time licensing / per-dose pricing in the $300,000-$500,000 range typical of autologous CAR-T benchmarks, but on an off-the-shelf allogeneic model that targets the 75% of eligible LBCL patients who cannot access autologous therapy. The company holds exclusive licenses to foundational CRISPR-Cas9 IP from UC/Vienna and has out-licensed certain CRISPR-Cas9 IP to Watchmaker Genomics for NGS applications. Cash runway extends to mid-2027 with a 2026 projected burn of $200-220M.

Name

Caribou Biosciences

Legal name

Caribou Biosciences, Inc.

Website

https://cariboubio.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Caribou Biosciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing allogeneic, genome-edited CAR-T and CAR-NK cell therapies using its proprietary chRDNA CRISPR platform for patients with hematologic malignancies, including B cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Allogeneic CAR-T Cell Therapy

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Cell Therapy Developers (Allogeneic/Off-the-shelf) (HLAAABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

CAR-T & TCR-T Therapies (HLAAABAC), Cell Therapy Enabling Technologies (gene editing, cell engineering, delivery methods) (HLAAABAL), Cell Therapy Manufacturing Services (GMP, autologous/allogeneic) (HLAAAKAC)

Keywords

• Allogeneic CAR-T therapy
• CRISPR genome editing
• Cell therapy oncology
• Hematologic malignancy therapeutics
• ChRDNA technology platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Revenue (Future): Pre-revenue clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with no approved products. Future revenue will come from commercialization of allogeneic CAR-T cell therapies (vispa-cel and CB-011) for hematologic malignancies following FDA approval

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Caribou Biosciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing allogeneic (off-the-shelf), genome-edited CAR-T and CAR-NK cell therapies for patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Its product engine is built on proprietary chRDNA CRISPR technology, used to create armored cell therapies with checkpoint disruption (PD-1 knockout) and immune cloaking (B2M-HLA-E fusion). Lead programs include vispa-cel (CB-010) for B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and CB-011 for multiple myeloma.

Product overview

Caribou Biosciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a pipeline of genome-edited allogeneic (off-the-shelf) CAR-T and CAR-NK cell therapies for hematologic malignancies, powered by its proprietary chRDNA CRISPR genome-editing technology platform. Its lead clinical programs are vispa-cel (CB-010), an anti-CD19 CAR-T therapy for B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and CB-011, an anti-BCMA CAR-T therapy for multiple myeloma. Earlier-stage programs include CB-012 for acute myeloid leukemia and CB-020, an iPSC-derived CAR-NK cell therapy for solid tumors. The chRDNA platform enables multiplexed editing with high specificity, underpinning both the checkpoint disruption (PD-1 knockout) armoring strategy used in vispa-cel and the immune cloaking (B2M–HLA-E fusion) strategy used in CB-011.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vispa-cel (vispacabtagene regedleucel, formerly CB-010) Allogeneic anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy armored with PD-1 knockout for checkpoint disruption, designed to reduce T cell exhaustion and improve antitumor activity in patients with relapsed or refractory B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Clinical-stage investigational product.
• CB-011 Allogeneic anti-BCMA CAR-T cell therapy engineered with B2M-HLA-E fusion for immune cloaking to prevent both T cell and NK cell-mediated rejection, targeting relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Clinical-stage investigational product.
• CB-012 Next-generation CRISPR-edited allogeneic anti-CLL-1 CAR-T cell therapy for adults with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia. Clinical-stage investigational product.
• CB-020 iPSC-derived allogeneic CAR-NK cell therapy engineered using chRDNA technology for enhanced activity against solid tumors. Preclinical-stage investigational product.
• CAR-T cell therapy platform Off-the-shelf allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy development platform using chRDNA genome editing to armor therapies through checkpoint disruption and immune cloaking strategies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 82% overall response rate, 67% complete response rate, 17.1-month median progression-free survival in second-line LBCL patients (ANTLER trial)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Regents of the University of California and University of ViennacoreTechnology or IntegrationCaribou holds an exclusive license to foundational CRISPR-Cas9 IP invented by Jennifer Doudna, Martin Jinek, and colleagues. This forms the core of Caribou's genome-editing platform. Caribou also licenses this foundational CRISPR-Cas9 IP and certain of its own CRISPR-Cas9 IP to other companies for use in multiple market sectors including research tools, transgenic research animals, internal research, diagnostics, and industrial biotechnology.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Allogene Therapeutics: Clinical-stage allogeneic CAR-T developer with overlapping hematologic malignancy programs (ALLO-501 in NHL, ALLO-329 in autoimmune). Directly competes with Caribou in the off-the-shelf CAR-T category with a TALEN-based gene-editing platform, and is one of the best-capitalized competitors in the space.
• CRISPR Therapeutics: Pioneer in CRISPR-based gene editing with Casgevy (the first FDA-approved CRISPR therapy) for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia, plus an allogeneic CAR-T pipeline including CTX112 in B-cell malignancies. Uses CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing for similar allogeneic cell therapy indications to Caribou.
• Precision BioSciences: Clinical-stage allogeneic CAR-T developer using proprietary ARCUS gene-editing platform. Pursues hematologic malignancy indications directly overlapping with Caribou's vispa-cel and CB-011 programs and represents a direct alternative-platform competitor in off-the-shelf cell therapy.
• Cellectis: French clinical-stage allogeneic CAR-T pioneer using TALEN gene editing. One of the foundational allogeneic CAR-T platforms with programs in leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma - directly comparable to Caribou's allogeneic platform approach and clinical indications.
• Editas Medicine: Clinical-stage CRISPR-based gene editing company with Casgevy partnership and in vivo gene editing programs. Shares the CRISPR heritage with Caribou and competes for talent, IP positioning, and pipeline overlap in hematology and oncology cell therapy.

Broad incumbents

• Bristol Myers Squibb: Global pharma and owner of Breyanzi (lisocabtagene maraleucel) and Abecma (idecabtagene vicleucel), both autologous CAR-Ts in the same NHL and multiple myeloma indications where Caribou is developing vispa-cel and CB-011. Represents the dominant incumbent standard of care that any allogeneic challenger must displace.
• Gilead Sciences (Kite): Owns Yescarta and Tecartus (autologous CAR-Ts in NHL) through Kite Pharma; the largest CAR-T commercial franchise by volume and a benchmark for vispa-cel's eventual commercial competitive set in 2L LBCL.

Emerging players

• Fate Therapeutics: Clinical-stage developer of iPSC-derived off-the-shelf NK and T-cell therapies for cancer and autoimmune disease. Closely comparable to Caribou's CB-020 iPSC-derived CAR-NK program in solid tumors and shares the broader allogeneic off-the-shelf thesis with a different cell type.
• Intellia Therapeutics: Clinical-stage in vivo CRISPR gene editing company (with Regeneron). Adjacent to Caribou in CRISPR technology and oncology pipeline (NTLA-2001 in ATTR amyloidosis, NTLA-2002 in HAE) but competes in the broader CRISPR-oncology investment universe and shares key opinion leaders with Caribou's SAB.
• 2seventy bio: Clinical and commercial-stage cell therapy company with Abecma collaboration (multiple myeloma CAR-T) and emerging pipeline including autoimmune cell therapy programs. Direct competitive overlap with Caribou's CB-011 anti-BCMA CAR-T in multiple myeloma.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cariboubio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caribou-biosciences
• Facebookfacebook.com/857364984358543

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds9 records

Investors29 records

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M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Caribou Biosciences