Gene-editing biotech Scribe Therapeutics has raised about $129 million in an initial public offering — the first IPO from a gene-editing company in more than two years.
Scribe priced 8.58 million shares at $15 each and began trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker “SCTX” on July 23. The last gene-editing IPO was Metagenomi's roughly $94 million offering back in February 2024, making Scribe's debut a notable reopening for a sector that had gone quiet.
What Scribe does
Rather than cutting DNA like classic CRISPR, Scribe uses an epigenetic approach that silences gene expression without altering the underlying sequence — a strategy it is aiming at cardiometabolic diseases. Its lead program, STX-1150, targets PCSK9 to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, with first-in-human data expected in the first half of 2027. Additional programs aimed at Lp(a) and APOC3 are in preclinical development.
A cautious market
The raise was modest by 2026 standards — this year's median biotech IPO has topped $300 million — reflecting Scribe's earlier stage of development. Still, it adds to a slowly reviving IPO window: 14 biotechs went public through July, with several more lining up.
Why it matters
A successful gene-editing IPO signals cautious investor appetite returning to a field that promises one-time, durable treatments for chronic disease. Whether that enthusiasm holds will depend on early clinical data — Scribe's PCSK9 readout in 2027 will be an important test.