Intellia cuts workforce, trims CRISPR pipeline

Intellia Therapeutics, citing a “challenging market environment,” has announced a strategic reorganization focused on advancing its two late-stage CRISPR-based candidates in hereditary angioedema (HAE) and transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis.

The pipeline prioritization will allocate resources towards Intellia’s high value programs: NTLA-2002, a CRISPR therapeutic candidate designed to prevent HAE attacks by inactivating the kallikrein B1 (KLKB1) gene, which encodes for prekallikrein, the kallikrein precursor protein; and Nex-z, a one-time treatment designed to inactivate the TTR gene that encodes for the transthyretin (TTR) protein which, in patients with ATTR amyloidosis, builds up as amyloid in the body.

Nex-z is currently being studied in the phase 3 MAGNITUDE study in patients with ATTR amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy. NTLA-2002 is currently being evaluated for HAE in the phase 3 HAELO study; Intellia intends to complete enrollment in the second half of 2025. The company intends to submit a Biologics License Application for NTLA-2002 in the second half of 2026.

Over the course of 2025, the strategic reorganization will result in a net workforce reduction of approximately 27%. Intellia has also discontinued development of NTLA-3001 for the treatment of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency-associated lung disease and select research-stage programs.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotech has been here before. Last January, Intellia announced a pause in select exploratory research-stage programs, along with a workforce reduction of approximately 15%.