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Organization and Operations
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Organization and Operations

1. Organization and Operations

The Company

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (“CRISPR” or the “Company”) was formed on October 28, 2013 in Basel, Switzerland. The Company was established to translate CRISPR/Cas9, a genome editing technology, into transformative gene-based medicines for the treatment of serious human diseases. The foundational intellectual property underlying the Company’s operations was licensed to the Company and its subsidiaries in April 2014. The Company devotes substantially all of its efforts to product research and development activities, initial market development and raising capital. The Company’s principal offices are located in Zug, Switzerland and its principal research operations are in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

On January 23, 2014, the founders of the Company formed TRACR Hematology Limited (“TRACR”), wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, in the United Kingdom, to further the development of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology into medicines for the treatment of blood-borne illnesses. As the Company was funding and managing TRACR’s operations in 2014, it has been consolidated by the Company from the date that the Company established a variable interest in TRACR in April 2014. In March 2015, the Company acquired 82.1% of the outstanding equity of TRACR in a share exchange transaction. Concurrent with its initial public offering (“IPO”) in October 2016, the Company acquired the outstanding non-controlling interest in TRACR.

On February 7, 2014, the Company formed a wholly-owned subsidiary in the United Kingdom, CRISPR Therapeutics Limited (“CRISPR Ltd.”), and on February 16, 2015, the Company formed a wholly-owned subsidiary in the United States, CRISPR Therapeutics, Inc. (“CRISPR Inc.”), as its principal research and development operation.

The Company is subject to risks common to companies in the biotechnology industry, including but not limited to, risks of failure of preclinical studies and clinical trials, the need to obtain marketing approval for any drug product candidate that it may identify and develop, the need to successfully commercialize and gain market acceptance of its product candidates, dependence on key personnel, protection of proprietary technology, compliance with government regulations, development by competitors of technological innovations and ability to transition from pilot-scale manufacturing to large-scale production of products.

The Company had an accumulated deficit of $125.6 million as of September 30, 2017 and has financed its operations to date from proceeds obtained from its IPO, private placements of our preferred and common shares, convertible loans and collaboration agreements with strategic partners. The Company will require substantial additional capital to fund its research and development and ongoing operating expenses.

Liquidity

The Company expects its cash of $253.5 million at September 30, 2017 to be sufficient to fund its current operating plan through at least the next 24 months. Thereafter, the Company may be required to obtain additional funding. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain additional debt or equity financing or generate product revenue or revenues from collaborative partners, on terms acceptable to the Company, on a timely basis or at all. The failure of the Company to obtain sufficient funds on acceptable terms when needed could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations, and financial condition.