-Function Oncology, a company transforming the operating system of precision medicine with CRISPR-powered platform technology, today announced an innovative research and development partnership with Volastra Therapeutics, a company pioneering novel approaches to treating cancer by targeting a tumor vulnerability known as chromosomal instability (CIN). The collaboration brings together Function’s CRISPR-enabled personalized functional genomics technology with Volastra’s expertise in CIN to expand patient selection for Volastra’s KIF18A inhibitors across an array of solid tumors indications.

Function is leveraging its CRISPR-enabled platform to understand disease in unprecedented and patient-specific detail. By moving beyond traditional gene sequencing to measuring gene function, the Volastra and Function teams aim to identify which patients would benefit from treatment with Volastra’s KIF18A inhibitors. This technology has the potential to accelerate clinical development through predictive biomarkers, as well as novel target identification and validation, and ultimately lead to better patient and trial outcomes.

“This collaboration serves as validation of our CRISPR-based approach to deciphering patient-specific drug target vulnerabilities in solid tumors. We are excited to partner with the world-class team at Volastra to accelerate the development of promising medicines that will impact the lives of patients and their families,” said Srinath Sampath, M.D., Ph.D., M.Phil., Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Function Oncology.

Added Scott Drutman, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research and Development at Volastra, “KIF18A inhibition holds tremendous promise for treating chromosomally unstable tumors. CRISPR technology has transformed precision medicine, and we are excited by the potential of Function’s innovative platform to expand the pool of patients that will benefit from KIF18A inhibitors.”