Chroma Medicine Announces Exclusive License Agreement with the Whitehead Institute for Novel Epigenetic Editing Technology

License provides exclusive access to innovative epigenetic editors and expands the reach of Chroma’s platform

BOSTON, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Chroma Medicine, Inc. (Chroma) a genomic medicine company pioneering single-course epigenetic editing therapeutics, today announced it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with the Whitehead Institute to access intellectual property and technology developed in the lab of Chroma co-founder Jonathan Weissman, Ph.D. 

The novel technology called CHARM (coupled histone tail for autoinhibition release of methyltransferase) uses a compact epigenetic editing effector domain to recruit and activate endogenous DNA methyltransferases to durably silence target genes. CHARM can utilize a self-silencing mechanism to limit its duration of expression and has been shown by Dr. Weissman’s lab to induce brain-wide prion protein silencing in vivo.

With an aim to deliver on the transformative potential of epigenetic editing, Chroma is expanding the versatility of its platform by leveraging this new technology to rapidly advance a new class of therapeutics that harness epigenetics, nature’s innate mechanism for gene regulation, to achieve unparalleled control of gene expression without cutting, nicking, or altering the DNA sequence.

“This agreement is a powerful example of our deep commitment to innovation in genomic medicines,” said Catherine Stehman-Breen, M.D., Chroma’s Chief Executive Officer. “Adding CHARM to our arsenal of technologies strengthens our mission to bring a broad portfolio of durable epigenetic editing therapeutics to patients.”

About Whitehead Institute and Weissman Laboratory
Whitehead Institute is a world-renowned non-profit research institute dedicated to improving human health through basic biomedical research. Whitehead Institute’s mission is to forge new frontiers in science, uncovering insights today that unlock the potential of tomorrow.

The Weissman Laboratory is looking at how cells ensure that proteins fold into their correct shape, as well as the role of protein misfolding in disease and normal physiology. They are also developing experimental and analytical approaches for exploring the organizational principles of biological systems and globally monitoring protein translation through ribosome profiling.

About Chroma Medicine
Chroma Medicine is a biotechnology company pioneering a new class of genomic medicines that harness epigenetics, nature’s innate mechanism for gene regulation, to deliver precise, programmable single-course therapeutics while preserving genomic integrity. The company’s modular platform enables development of medicines that can address a wide range of complex diseases, whether they require silencing, activation, or targeting multiple genes at once. Chroma was founded by the world’s foremost experts in genomic research and is led by a veteran team of industry leaders and scientists with deep experience in genomic medicine, drug discovery, and development. For more information, please visit chromamedicine.com or follow us on LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter). 

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SOURCE Chroma Medicine