We love to hear from our listeners. Send us a message. In episode 2 of this four-part in vivo-focused special series of Cell &amp; Gene: The Podcast, Host Erin Harris sits down with Gopi Shanker, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Beam Therapeutics, for an in-depth conversation on the rapidly evolving landscape of in vivo gene editing and precision genetic medicines. Dr. Shanker discusses how next-generation base editing technologies are advancing beyond traditional CRISPR approaches by enabling precise single-base changes without creating double-stranded DNA breaks. They discuss the growing momentum behind in vivo delivery strategies, including targeted LNP technologies designed to reach tissues beyond the liver, as well as the operational and patient-centric advantages these approaches may offer compared to ex vivo therapies. Subscribe to the podcast! Apple | Spotify | YouTube Visit my website: Cell &amp; Gene Connect with me on LinkedIn

Reimagining In Vivo Gene Editing Through Base Editing and Targeted Delivery with Beam Therapeutics' Gopi Shanker, Ph.D.

Cell & Gene: The Podcast

# Full Transcript

**Podcast:** Cell &amp; Gene: The Podcast

## Participants

- **Erin Harris** (None)
- **Gopi Shanker** (Beam Therapeutics)

## Transcript

Hi everyone, welcome to this in vivo focused special series of Cell & Gene: The Podcast. I'm Erin Harris. And if you're just joining us, you're tuned into Episode 2 of our four part special series. I encourage you to listen to Episode 1 featuring Precision Biosciences' Dr. Cassie Gorsuch. She and I talked about the rapid evolution of in vivo gene editing and the scientific translational and regulatory hurdles shaping the field.

Now, here for Episode 2, I got to sit down with Gopi Shanker, Ph.D. He's the Chief Scientific Officer at Beam Therapeutics. Gopi and I dive into how in vivo gene editing is evolving beyond first-generation CRISPR approaches and what that could mean for the future of genetic medicine.

He and I talk about Beam's work in base editing, targeted LNP delivery, and the company's broader vision for developing potential curative therapies through precision genetic medicine. We discuss the scientific advantages of base editing, the growing momentum behind in vivo delivery strategies, and the efforts to reach tissues beyond the liver and how regulatory thinking around these therapies continues to evolve.

This is a really fascinating discussion, all about how innovation, delivery technology, and the future of scalable gene editing therapies is here. So this is my conversation with Beam Therapeutics, Dr. Gopi Shanker. Thank you. Gopi, hi. Welcome to Cell & Gene: The Podcast. Thank you so much for being here on this special series on in vivo technologies.

And I'm thrilled you're with us. I'm happy that Beam Therapeutics is a part of this special series. And so to kick us off, let's talk a little bit about Beam Therapeutics, the company's mission, and perhaps your role within the company. Aaron, thank you very much for the invitation. It's a pleasure to be on this series with you. And thanks for the opportunity to tell your listeners and viewers about Beam Therapeutics.

So at Beam, our vision is actually rather straightforward but ambitious. It's to provide lifelong cures for patients that are suffering from serious diseases. And everything we do at Beam, it's in the service of that vision, and it's driven by our values, which are fearless innovation guided by rigorous and honest research, and our commitment to each other at Beam, but also to our patients. So in honor of that commitment, what we're doing here is building a leading,

fully integrated platform for precision genetic medicines. And we've assembled that platform with internal capabilities for gene editing, for delivery, and for manufacturing. And we're using this platform to advance a diversified set of programs, some of which are now in the clinic. So we're really excited about it. At the center of it all, of course, is our suite of gene editing technologies.

It's anchored by base editing, which is a proprietary ...

Reimagining In Vivo Gene Editing Through Base Editing and Targeted Delivery with Beam Therapeutics' Gopi Shanker, Ph.D.

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Reimagining In Vivo Gene Editing Through Base Editing and Targeted Delivery with Beam Therapeutics' Gopi Shanker, Ph.D.

Transcript

Built for investment professionals

Every day you wait, your competitors are findingedge in conversations you're not hearing.

Every day you wait, your competitors are finding
edge in conversations you're not hearing.