- Broken String’s new INDUCE-seq® Early Access Program enables detection of on- and off-target edits at high resolution in days, in your lab
- Replaces months-long process of building technology pipeline to develop safety and efficacy profiles
- Builds on the success of Broken String’s lab service, new on-demand offering can be integrated into early therapeutics development at guide selection
BOSTON, MA and Cambridge, UK, February 6, 2025 – Broken String Biosciences (“Broken String”), a leader in advancing gene editing safety, today opened its Catalyst Early Access Program (EAP) for developers of gene-edited therapies that allow for the detection of on- and off-target edits at high resolution, in days, in their own labs. The program allows select companies to use Broken String’s INDUCE-seq® platform as a first-of-its-kind offering for rapidly detecting on-target and off-target effects that can occur during gene editing. This new on-demand offering enables gene editing therapy developers to assess on- and off-target effects in days, as opposed to months.
The offering can be integrated into early therapeutics development at target validation, reducing risk and removing the need for costly internal workflows that slow development progress. It is cell and nuclease agnostic, enabling direct measurement in clinically relevant samples, addressing regulatory scrutiny around unintended edits.
Felix Dobbs, Ph.D., co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Broken String said: “The gene editing industry has reached an inflection point, where the momentum required to reach its potential can only be sustained by expanding patient access – which requires standardization, faster drug development, and robust safety characterization. Our Catalyst program will enable faster and broader industry-wide adoption of INDUCE-seq® and position this as an essential technology for the next wave of gene-editing based therapeutics.”
For years, companies have been using INDUCE-seq® via Broken String’s labs to ensure safety before entering clinical trials. INDUCE-seq® solves a fundamental safety challenge that dates back to the origins of gene editing: how to assess on- and off-target effects as they happen. By making the same technology available for developers in their own labs, they retain full control over their experiments while incorporating safety throughout the entire development process.
The industry lacks a gold standard for detecting on- and off-target edits. Current approaches can have PCR-induced bias, and miss low-frequency unintended edits that are potentially dangerous and can have disastrous consequences for clinical programs. INDUCE-seq® improves on existing technologies by delivering unbiased genome-wide insights, accurately detecting double-strand DNA breaks from CRISPR and other gene editing technologies.
Broken String’s on-premise Catalyst EAP accelerates discovery programs with iterative use to screen guide RNAs based on efficacy, as measured through on-target editing efficiency, as well as also providing quick indications for off-target safety. Enrollment in the Catalyst EAP is limited to a select group of participants. Interested companies can visit https://www.brokenstringbio.com/resources/catalyst-program/ to learn more and apply.
