As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reduces its dependence on oil as an export, one sector it is building up is the life sciences industry. The government is encouraging global companies to manufacture and invest domestically and they are improving their regulatory system and working with local players to enhance access to patients.

Hasten brought in $315m, and Orbital garnered $270m, but while multiple venture firms have raised large new funds, Q1 saw the lowest amount of biopharma VC fundraising in a single quarter since 2019.

The San Francisco-based company has taken a step forward with proof of concept for its ‘switch on or switch off’ approach to gene regulation via non-cutting CRISPR molecules.

A long-anticipated pruning back of the ev vivo gene therapy pipeline for sickle cell disease has arrived with Novartis, Graphite Bio and Sangamo each dropping projects, but some challengers are looking ahead to a future of in vivo approaches to the condition.