Now, five years is but a blink in the life of a redwood, but an age in the feverish world of stock tickers. And yet, here we find CRISPR Therapeutics, a company that’s been dawdling behind the broader market, despite having wrangled its first medicine, Casgevy, into the world. One might think a milestone like that would stir things up a bit, but alas, the market is a fickle beast, and hope, like a well-intentioned gambler, doesn’t always pay off. The question, then, is this: can this company turn things around, or is it destined to remain a footnote in the annals of biotech?
Why the Market Has Been Less Than Thrilled
Generally, these smaller biotech companies rely on progress in their laboratories to get folks excited. When they finally manage to get a drug approved, the early investors take their profits and move on to the next shiny object. That explains some of CRISPR’s sluggish performance. But there’s more to it than that. A successful launch of a new medicine should give a company a boost, but Casgevy, despite the help of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, hasn’t exactly set the world on fire. It’s a bit like building a magnificent steamboat, only to discover the river’s run dry.
Casgevy addresses two rare blood disorders – Sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. Severe ailments, to be sure, and ones for which effective treatments are scarce. However, this ain’t your grandpappy’s simple tonic. It’s a gene-editing therapy, which, while sounding like something out of a dime novel, comes with a price tag that’d make a banker blush – $2.2 million in the U.S. And administering it? A complicated affair, requiring specialized centers and a heap of expertise. So, profits have been modest, and CRISPR has to split them with Vertex, 40/60, which feels a bit like sharing a slice of pie with a particularly greedy neighbor.
In 2025, the company only managed $3.5 million in revenue, a far cry from the $37.3 million they earned in 2024. And that 2024 figure wasn’t from Casgevy sales, mind you, but from a collaboration with Vertex. They’re still operating at a loss, with a net loss per share worsening to $6.47, up from $4.34. It’s a bit like trying to fill a leaky bucket with gold dust. And to top it all off, they haven’t had enough clinical progress to truly impress the investors. A few encouraging results here and there, yes, but nothing to set the stock market ablaze.
A Glimmer of Hope?
Now, Casgevy might be about to take off. Vertex reported $116 million in revenue last year, and with insurers and treatment centers already in place, they’ve done much of the early work. That’s a good start, if you believe in such things. But the real potential lies in their pipeline. CRISPR has several promising candidates, and their clinical results over the next few years could give the stock a much-needed jolt.
First, there’s CTX310, a medicine aimed at lowering LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. High levels of those things, as any doctor will tell you, increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. CTX310 has shown some promise in early trials, but there’s still work to be done. If approved, it could target a large patient population – over 40 million Americans alone have high LDL or TG levels. And while there are existing treatments, CTX310 could be a one-and-done solution, which, let’s face it, is mighty appealing to folks who don’t fancy a lifetime of pills.
They’re also developing SRSD107, an investigational anticoagulant. Now, there’s a whole market for those, but SRSD107 could be a long-acting option, administered only once every six months, and avoid some of the drawbacks of existing anticoagulants, like heavy bleeding. It’s a bit like finding a smoother road on a bumpy journey.
But CRISPR Therapeutics has plenty of work ahead. Clinical setbacks could sink the stock, no doubt about it. However, there’s significant upside if Casgevy gains traction and new products become standards of care. So, CRISPR Therapeutics might be worth considering for investors who aren’t afraid of a little risk. It’s a speculative venture, to be sure, but then again, aren’t all ventures, when you look at them closely?
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2026-03-20 15:02