>>> A startup backed by Bill Gates wants to start using the controversial gene-e


Business Insider: A startup backed by Bill Gates wants to start using the controversial gene-editing tool CRISPR in people by 2017

This startup wants to start using controversial CRISPR gene-editing technology in people by 2017

A genome editing company hopes to start experimental treatments for a genetic eye disorder in humans by 2017 using a hot new gene-editing technique.

In a talk at MIT Technology Reviews' EmTech conference Wednesday night, Editas Medicine's CEO Katrine Bosley explained how her company would begin to bring the gene editing technology CRISPR into human testing.

CRISPR-Cas9 is a tool that has allowed scientists — at least in tests in animals and non-viable human embryos — to swap a particular, potentially faulty gene with another, potentially healthy one.

So far, CRISPR has not been used for gene editing in people (except in non-viable human embryos), meaning Editas' 2017 trial would be the first time CRISPR is ever used in humans.

Many diseases, like Huntington's Disease and Cystic Fibrosis (CF), are caused by small tweaks, or mutations, in our genes. Genetic screening, a process that analyzes both parents genes to help them learn what genetic disorders their future offspring might have, can help them make choices about family planning. Screening isn't completely effective in preventing genetic diseases in children, though a 2008 report showed that the state of Massachusetts was able to reduce the number of babies born with CF by 50% over four years, compared to the previous four-year period. Aside from screening, however, there are no cures for these conditions. Editas, along with other biotechnology companies, want to use CRISPR as a way to potentially create some.

Before that happens, Bosley said Editas is starting its research on a rare eye disorder called Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). The condition mainly affects the retina, a layer at the back of the eyeball that picks up light and sends that info to the brain, where it's translated into images. Starting at infancy, people with LCA have a hard time seeing anything other than large, bright shapes.

Bosley didn't specify the age of people with LCA in the trial, but it'll likely be done in adults using what she described as a gene-therapy-like treatment. To date, no gene therapies have yet been approved in the US, though one to treat another form of LCA has had promising results in late-stage trials.

Why does Editas want to try CRISPR for this condition?

There are a number of reasons why Editas is starting with this disease. For one, it's easy to target. The treatment (which involves injecting people with modified viruses carrying the CRISPR technology that will go in and repair the faulty DNA) can be injected directly into the retina and, in this case, used to delete the portion of the CEP290 gene that's responsible for the disease. Plus, because it's so closely tied to vision, it will be easy to see how successful or unsuccessful the treatment is.

But like any experimental treatment, this one comes with some caveats. First, LCA affects only about 3,000 people in the US, and just 20% of those have the type that Editas' treatment addresses, Jean Bennet, the Director of Advanced Retinal and Ocular Therapeutics at the University of Pennsylvania, told MIT Technology Review. That means that even if it proves successful, it'll likely be very expensive to treat. And launching studies to treat more widespread diseases could still be more than a few years off.

Editas is a startup based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In August, it raised $120 million from investors including Bill Gates to fund research like the kind being done with LCA, which Bosley told Forbes would be enough to keep the company running for at least three years.

(The Verge) Mysterious electric car maker Faraday Future says it

Mysterious electric car maker Faraday Future says it'll spend $1 billion on a US factory soon

We still don't know much about Faraday Future, apart from the fact that the California-based company has poached a who's-who of talent from Tesla, BMW, and others, and that it claims that it'll launch an electric car in 2017. And now, we know that it's ready to start spending money: in a press release today, Faraday says that it will invest $1 billion in a manufacturing facility in either California, Nevada, Louisana, or Georgia, but that it hasn't yet decided which one. "Producing our forward-looking and fully-connected electric vehicles not only requires the latest technology, but the right community partner," says Faraday SVP Nick Sampson in the release; it's likely that municipal and state incentives will play a big role, just as they did in Tesla's selection of Nevada for the Gigafactory.

Faraday says that "in addition to producing vehicles, [it] plans to explore other aspects of the automotive and technology industries, including unique ownership and usage models, in-vehicle content and autonomous driving," which is a pretty long list of asks for a company with several hundred employees and no product — particularly in the notoriously brutal auto business. There's no word yet on when the company will show its first vehicle, but its most obvious rival — fellow California EV maker Tesla — plans on showing its Model 3 in March of next year.

>>> US Gapping down

Gapping down
In reaction to strong earnings/guidance: MW -38.3%, TNGO -20.2%, GLUU -19.9%, SWIR -18.9%, CMLS -18.6%, CPST -16.3%, PXLW -14%, SKUL -13.4%, GDOT -11.3%, AAOI -9.8%, TRIP -9.6%, ALDR -7.6%, MFLX -7.4%, MMI -7.1%, NEWR -5.6%, CLVS -4.9%, SNTA -4.4%, FICO -4%, GEVO -3.6%, PRAA -3.5%, ACET -3.5%, AMTG -3.4%, MHK -3.3%, TCPI -3.2%, DIOD -3.1%, CLDX -3%, GST -2.4%,SYN -2.1%, BIOC -2.1%, VIP -2%, HAIN -1.9%, KHC -1.9%, INSM -1.8%, HNSN -1.6%, EFC -1.4%, AKAO -1.3%, BBG -1.1%, EOG -1.1%, ABUS -1%

M&A news: NSR -2.3% (agrees to acquire MarketShare Partners for $450 mln ), AZN -1% (acquired ZSPH of ~2.7 bln)

Other news: KBIO -51.8% ( to reduce workforce by ~61%, will explore strategic alternative), CGIX -17.6% (prices 3 mln shares of its common stock at $4.00/share; gross proceeds expected to be $12.0 mln), MRNS -15.9% (to offer and sell shares of its common stock in an underwritten public offering), MCZ -13.6% (entered into $25 mln ATM common stock offering agreement with Ascendiant Capital, reported Q3 results), XOMA-12.6% (Agenus enters into three transactions, including agreement to acquire XOMA's (XOMA) antibody pilot plant manufacturing facility and capabilities ), RDY -12.4% (receipt of a warning letter from the FDA), SNY -6.2% (sets long-term growth objectives at IR seminar; targets sales CAGR between +3-4% 2015-2020), BSTC -5.8% (BioSpecifics Tech reports that Endo International (ENDP) has exercised its early opt-in for CCH to include two new potential indications; lateral thigh fat and plantar fibromatosis), BHP -5.1% (following Samarco incident), EYES -3.7% (disclosed that Medicare payment rate for the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System may be cut), TCPI -3.2% (announced delay in reporting third quarter 2015 financial results; due to a pending Audit Committee investigation; offers prelim Q3 results), VALE -3% (BHP Billiton and Vale (VALE) are 50 per cent shareholders in the Brazilian company and joint venture, Samarco), SERV -2.3% (announces the sale of ~28.96 mln shares of its common stock by a selling stockholder associated with Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and StepStone Group)

Analyst comments: CREE -5.6% (downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Goldman), SEAS -2.2% (downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman), CMG -1.6% (downgraded to Neutral at Robert W. Baird
)

>>> US Gapping up

Gapping up
In reaction to earnings/guidance: ECOM +19.4%, WTW +18.7%, STMP +18.5%, VRNS +17.7%, FNGN +17.6%, SREV +16.9%, UBNT +16.8%, LPTH +16.7%, DATA +16.2%, QRVO +15.4%, RATE +15%, YUME +12.9%, AXGN +12.5%, MITK +10.5%, TRUE +10.4%, AIRM +10.1%, KTOS +9.8%, NVDA +9.7%, SXE +9.7%, BLDR +9.7%, DWA +9.6%, RPTP +9.4%, PODD +8.8%, MNST +8.3%, OLED +7.7%, TTI+7.4%, AGTC +6.9%, SHAK +6.8%, OCLS +6.6%, BCEI +6.6%, ICUI +5.7%, WING +5.5%, PCTY +5.5%, ELON +4.8%, AEZS +4.6%, MSCC +4.5%, VTL +4.5%, CYTX +4.4%, AEE +4.4%, SWKS +4.3%, ANET +3.7%, TTWO +3.6%, GSVC +3.4%, ABTL +3.2%, ABCO +3.2%, GERN +3%, ETM +2.7%, ERII +2.4%, CBI +2.1%, JOE +2%, CYBR +1.8%, AL +1.6%, NKTR +1.5%, SEMG +1.4%, BETR +1.3%, PBA+1.3%, ACHN +1.2%, CSOD +1.1%, MDVN +1%, RBA +1%

M&A news: ZSPH +40.8% (to be acquired by AstraZeneca (AZN) for $90/share, or ~$2.7 bln), LXRX +30% (Lexicon Pharma and Sanofi (SNY) set up collaboration on sotagliflozin), YOKU +10.1% (to be acquired by Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) for $27.60/ADS share in cash), RLYP +6.7% (ZSPH peer)

Other news: PVCT +28.7% (reported results that reveal a clinically relevant immunoadjuvant pathway triggered by tumor cell death secondary to ablation with RB), MHR +23.3% (reported refinancing of its existing senior secured revolving credit facility), SHAK +7.1% (still checking), AGEN +4.4% (Agenus enters into three transactions, including agreement to acquire XOMA's (XOMA) antibody pilot plant manufacturing facility and capabilities ), CLLS +4.2% (FT discusses benefits and possible success of cancer genetic therapy), BLUE +4.1% (slightly rebounding following recent weakness), VRX +3.2% (Pershing Square Holdings releases complete communication sent from Bill Ackman to Valeant Pharm'a (VRX) CEO), MNKD +2.9% (still checking), MOMO +2.7% (still checking), OXGN +2.4% (reports initial data from a Phase 1b/2 study of CA4P in combination with Votrient; results are 'encouraging and we expect to move into the phase 2 portion of the study in early 2016' ), .

Analyst comments: WM +0.9% (initiated with a Outperform at Credit Suisse)
.

>>> US Early premarket gappers

Early premarket gappers
Gapping up: ZSPH +40.7%, LPTH +30.7%, PVCT +28.7%, LXRX +26.6%, ECOM +19.4%, WTW +18.1%, DATA +15.3%, RATE +15%, RLYP +14.7%, MHR +13.3%, YOKU +10.2%, NVDA +9.7%, SHAK +6.3%, MNKD +6.1%, VRX +5.8%, CLLS +4.9%, BLUE +4.5%, AGEN +4.4%, ERII +3.8%, MOMO +3.8%, IHG +3.7%, STRP +2.3%, ENOC +1.8%, YY +1.4%, QCOM +1.2%

Gapping down: KBIO -51.8%, ICON -51.7%, MW -35.7%, GLUU -20.8%, CGIX -15.6%, RDY -15%, MRNS -13.3%, MCZ -6.8%, BBL -6%, BSTC -5.8%, SNY -5.8%, BHP -5.5%, EYES -3.7%, TCPI -3.2%, TTM -3.1%, VALE -2.7%, NSR -2.3%, SERV -2.2%, SERV -2.2%, TS -2%, AZN -1.9%, SYT -1.9%, DEO -1.3%, SUNE -1.1%, CCL -1%