Beam Therapeutics' Role In Gene-Editing 2.0 Revolution: First U.S. Patient Treated With Base-Edited Cell Therapy

Beam Therapeutics Inc BEAM announced that in August, the first patient was treated with BEAM-201, a quadruplex-edited allogeneic CAR-T cell investigational therapy. 

BEAM-201 is being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 study for relapsed/refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-ALL/T-LL).

William Blair views the update favorably, highlighting that this is the inaugural patient to undergo treatment with a Beam therapeutic candidate. 

Furthermore, this patient is the first in the U.S. to receive a base-edited therapy, marking a significant milestone for the company and the entire gene editing sector.

Analysts Sami Corwin, Myles Minter, Brooke Schuster, Tiffany Marchell, and Sarah Schram keep the Outperform rating for Beam Therapeutics shares. 

The analysts consider Beam to be at the forefront of the next wave of gene-editing companies. 

Its standout competitive edge lies in its capability to adapt its platform swiftly, enhancing editing efficiency and reducing potential off-target edits tailored to specific diseases. 

The analysts also write that Beam's base-editing technology could offer a safety advantage over other gene-editing methods, given its avoidance of double-strand DNA breaks.

Considering Beam's prior announcement about having identified and secured consent from the required patients to complete the sentinel group (n=3) and kick off the expansion phase of the BEACON trial for sickle cell disease, the first patient for the BEACON trial might soon receive their dose.

 While investors' attention has predominantly centered on BEAM-101, it's important to note that BEAM-201 involves more edits, making its production more intricate.

Price Action: BEAM shares are down 0.38% at $23.37 on the last check Tuesday.