8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 10, 2017

CRISPR THERAPEUTICS AG

(Exact Name of Company as Specified in Charter)

Switzerland	001-37923	Not Applicable
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

Baarerstrasse 14

6300 Zug

Switzerland

+41 61 228 7800

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

Not applicable

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Emerging growth company  ☒

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☒

Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

Appointment of Michael J. Tomsicek as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

On November 13, 2017, CRISPR Therapeutics AG (the “Company”) announced the hiring and appointment of Michael J. Tomsicek as its Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately.

Mr. Michael J. Tomsicek, age 51, served as the Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Abiomed, Inc., from July 15, 2015 to August 24, 2017. From March 2013 until January 2015, Mr. Tomsicek served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Cubist”). From July 2012 until March 2013, Mr. Tomsicek served as Senior Vice President and Deputy Financial Officer at Cubist and from August 2010 to July 2012, he was Vice-President of Corporate Finance and Treasurer at Cubist. Before joining Cubist, Mr. Tomsicek served for eight years holding roles with increasing influence within GE’s Healthcare unit. His service at GE culminated in his roles first as Chief Financial Officer of the Diagnostic Ultrasound business and finally as Chief Financial Officer of the Global Ultrasound product group. Prior to that, Mr. Tomsicek was Manufacturing Finance Manager for the GE Healthcare Monitoring Systems business and was selected to and completed the GE Experienced Financial Leadership Program. Mr. Tomsicek held various advancing roles in financial planning and channel management over seven years in the automotive division of Motorola, then a public global telecommunications company. Mr. Tomsicek received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin and his M.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin.

Employment Agreement with Mr. Tomsicek

In connection with Mr. Tomsicek’s appointment to the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, CRISPR Therapeutics, Inc (“CRISPR Inc.”), entered into a Employment Agreement (the “Employment Agreement”) with Mr. Tomsicek dated November 13, 2017.

Under the Employment Agreement, Mr. Tomsicek will receive an annual salary of $380,000 and he will be eligible to participate in the Company’s annual bonus program, with a target bonus of 40% of his base salary. Mr. Tomsicek bonus for 2017 will be pro-rated to reflect his start date with the Company. Mr. Tomsicek will also be eligible to participate in the Company’s Amended and Restated 2016 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, and will receive an inaugural, one-time grant of options to purchase 180,000 of the Company’s common shares (the “Equity Award”). Twenty-five percent of the Equity Award will vest on November 13, 2018, and the remaining seventy-five percent of the Equity Award will vest ratably on a monthly basis over the following three years, subject, in each case, to Mr. Tomsicek’s continued employment with CRISPR Inc., the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company. Mr. Tomsicek will also receive a one-time payment of $50,000, which is subject to forfeiture in the event Mr. Tomsicek’s employment with the Company is terminated for any reason within the first year of his employment. Mr. Tomsicek will be eligible to participate in the Company’s 401(k) plan, health plans and other benefits on the same terms as all other Company employees.

Under the Employment Agreement, in the event we terminate his employment without Cause, or Mr. Tomsicek resigns for Good Reason (both as defined in the Employment Agreement), the terminating party will be required to give six months’ notice (the “Notice Period”). During the Notice Period, Mr. Tomsicek shall continue to be entitled to all compensation under the Employment Agreement, and all stock options and stock based awards shall continue to vest from the date notice of termination is given until the last day of the Notice Period. In addition, Mr. Tomsicek will be entitled to receive a pro-rated bonus for the duration of the Notice Period.

No later than fifteen days following the delivery of notice by us to Mr. Tomsicek of a termination without Cause or the delivery of a notice of resignation by Mr. Tomsicek for Good Reason, Mr. Tomsicek will be placed on “garden leave.” During this period of garden leave, Mr. Tomsicek may enter into consulting arrangements and accept board positions with other companies and will be allowed to engage in other employment, so long as that employment doesn’t interfere with his obligations under the Employment Agreement. However, Mr. Tomsicek will continue to be entitled to all compensation under the Employment Agreement through the garden leave period, which terminates at the end of the Notice Period.

If Mr. Tomsicek’s employment is terminated by us without Cause or by Mr. Tomsicek for Good Reason, in each case, within 12 months following a Change in Control (as defined in the Employment Agreement), the Notice Period will become 12 months and all equity awards held by Mr. Tomsicek on such date that the notice of

termination or resignation is delivered will vest, or similar other restrictions will expire, and such awards become exercisable or nonforfeitable, subject to his execution of a release of any claims in favor of us. However, in the event we determine at the time of the Change in Control, based upon an opinion of counsel, that the acceleration described in the preceding sentence is not permissible under applicable law, all stock options and stock-based awards held by Mr. Tomsicek as of the date of the Change in Control, shall vest and become exercisable or nonforfeitable as of the date of the Change in Control.

There are no transactions between Mr. Tomsicek and the Company and there is no arrangement or understanding between Mr. Tomsicek and any other persons or entities pursuant to which Mr. Tomsicek was appointed as officer of the Company.

The full text of the press release announcing Mr. Tomsicek’s appointment is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section.

Item 8.01. Other Events

On November 10, 2017, the Company issued a press release entitled “CRISPR Therapeutics Highlights New Additions to Portfolio of Allogeneic CRISPR-based CAR-T Therapies at SITC Annual Meeting.” A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.2 and is incorporated herein by reference.

On November 13, 2017, the Company issued a press release entitled “CRISPR Therapeutics and Casebia Collaborate with CureVac on mRNA for Gene-Editing Programs.” A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.3 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits:

Exhibit No.	Description
99.1	Press Release by CRISPR Therapeutics AG announcing the hiring of Michael J. Tomsicek, dated November 13, 2017.
99.2	Press Release by CRISPR Therapeutics AG announcing additions to portfolio, dated November 10, 2017.
99.3	Press Release by CRISPR Therapeutics AG announcing collaboration agreement, dated November 13, 2017.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	CRISPR THERAPEUTICS AG
Date: November 13, 2017	By:	/s/ Samarth Kulkarni
		Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D.
		President and Chief Business Officer

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

CRISPR Therapeutics Announces Appointment of Michael Tomsicek as Chief Financial Officer

ZUG, Switzerland and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., — November 13, 2017 — CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP), a biopharmaceutical company focused on creating transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases, announces the appointment of Michael Tomsicek as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Tomsicek is a highly accomplished CFO who brings an extensive array of financial experience to CRISPR, including a background with global public companies in corporate finance, operations management systems, and corporate collaborations and licensing. He joins CRISPR Therapeutics to oversee the company’s global finance team reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer.

Prior to joining CRISPR Therapeutics, Mr. Tomsicek most recently served as CFO of Abiomed, a publicly-traded provider of medical devices with over $400 million in sales and an $8.0 billion market capitalization. Before that, he was Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer at Cubist Pharmaceuticals. He joined Cubist in 2010 and held a series of roles of increasing responsibility leading finance, investor relations and strategic sourcing through a period of dynamic growth at the company. Cubist, a global bio-pharmaceutical company, was acquired in 2015 for $9.5 billion by Merck & Co, Inc. Prior to Cubist, Mr. Tomsicek spent nearly eight years at General Electric Healthcare, as finance manager in global operations, and then as CFO of its ultrasound business.

“Mike’s extensive experience in global finance and operations, as well as his track record of financing clinical-stage biotech companies, will be critical as we enter our next phase of growth and begin clinical trials,” said Sam Kulkarni, President of CRISPR Therapeutics. “On behalf of the entire CRISPR team, I welcome Mike and look forward to his contributions.”

“I believe CRISPR Therapeutics is poised to translate its leading gene-editing platform into transformative therapies in hemoglobinopathies and cancer. I am enthusiastic to join CRISPR and help realize this great promise,” commented Michael Tomsicek.

Michael Tomsicek holds a bachelor of science degree in engineering and a master of business administration, both from the University of Wisconsin.

About CRISPR Therapeutics

CRISPR Therapeutics is a leading gene-editing company focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases using its proprietary CRISPR / Cas9 gene-editing platform. CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary technology that allows for precise, directed changes to genomic DNA. The company’s multi-disciplinary team of world-class researchers and drug developers is working to translate this technology into breakthrough human therapeutics in a number of serious diseases. Additionally, CRISPR Therapeutics has

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established strategic collaborations with Bayer AG and Vertex Pharmaceuticals to develop CRISPR-based therapeutics in diseases with high unmet need. The foundational CRISPR / Cas9 patent estate for human therapeutic use was licensed from the company’s scientific founder Emmanuelle Charpentier, Ph.D. CRISPR Therapeutics AG is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, with its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, CRISPR Therapeutics, Inc., and R&D operations based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit http://www.crisprtx.com.

CRISPR Forward-Looking Statement

Certain statements set forth in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, but not limited to, statements concerning: the timing of filing of clinical trial applications and INDs and timing of commencement of clinical trials, the intellectual property coverage and positions of the Company, its licensors and third parties, the sufficiency of the Company’s cash resources and the therapeutic value, development, and commercial potential of CRISPR/Cas-9 gene editing technologies and therapies. You are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Although the Company believes that such statements are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, the forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and they are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk. Actual performance and results may differ materially from those projected or suggested in the forward-looking statements due to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: uncertainties regarding the intellectual property protection for our technology and intellectual property belonging to third parties; uncertainties inherent in the initiation and completion of preclinical studies for the Company’s product candidates; availability and timing of results from preclinical studies; whether results from a preclinical trial will be predictive of future results of the future trials; expectations for regulatory approvals to conduct trials or to market products; and those risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and in any other subsequent filings made by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jennifer Paganelli

WCG for CRISPR

347-658-8290

jpaganelli@wcgworld.com

INVESTOR CONTACTS:

Chris Erdman

617-307-7227

Chris.erdman@crisprtx.com

Chris Brinzey

Westwicke Partners for CRISPR

339-970-2843

chris.brinzey@westwicke.com

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EX-99.2

Exhibit 99.2

CRISPR Therapeutics Highlights New Additions to Portfolio of Allogeneic CRISPR-based CAR-T

Therapies at SITC Annual Meeting

— CRISPR-based CAR-T cell therapy candidates targeting CD19+, BCMA and CD70 demonstrate

high editing rates, and potent anti-tumor activity in preclinical models —

— Expanding applicability of CRISPR-based CAR-T therapy to solid tumors —

ZUG, Switzerland and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., November 10, 2017 — CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CRSP), a genome editing company focused on creating transformative medicines for serious diseases, today described advances in its portfolio of wholly owned allogeneic CAR-T therapeutic candidates created with CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. These presentations took place during a poster session and reception at the Society for Immunotherapy 32^nd Annual Meeting.

“We are making rapid progress on our portfolio of CRISPR-based allogeneic CAR-T programs. Today at the SITC Annual Meeting, scientists from CRISPR presented encouraging data from our CD19 Allogeneic CAR-T development program including in vitro and in vivo data demonstrating potent anti-tumor activity. Based on these data, we have initiated manufacturing and other pre-clinical activities and expect to file an IND for this program in late 2018,” said Sam Kulkarni, President of CRISPR Therapeutics.

“We believe that the precision and efficiency of multiplexed editing with CRISPR/Cas9 will allow us to access the full potential of immune cell therapy in solid tumors and off-the-shelf products,” commented Tony Ho, MD, Head of R&D at CRISPR Therapeutics. “We have now built the capabilities necessary to rapidly generate new CAR-T product candidates with high consistency and potency, and are advancing the next two candidates in our allogeneic CAR-T portfolio targeting BCMA and CD70. Our CAR-T portfolio aims to demonstrate the power of our allogeneic platform using validated hematologic targets, and expand into solid tumors with our CD70 program.”

CRISPR believes that its CAR-T cells therapies may have distinct advantages over the current generation of autologous cell therapies including better access due to its “off-the-shelf” nature, and greater efficacy and safety due to the homogeneity and consistency of the product.

These data were presented during the Society for Immunotherapy in Cancer 32^nd Annual Meeting during the Cellular Therapy Approaches Track poster session and a company-sponsored reception highlighting allogeneic CRISPR-based CAR-T cell therapy. The poster, Production of site-specific Allogeneic CD19 CAR-T Cells by CRISPR-Cas9 for B-Cell Malignancies and an archive of the reception discussion can be found on the event calendar page of CRISPR Therapeutics’ website.

About CRISPR-based allogeneic CAR-T programs

The lead program in CRISPR’s immuno-oncology portfolio, CTX101, is an allogeneic CD19 CAR-T product that has several potential advantages over other approaches in the clinic due to the unique capabilities of the CRISPR/Cas9 system to achieve efficient and specific multiplexed editing. First, the CD19 chimeric antigen receptor, or CAR, is inserted into a specifically chosen locus rather than the random insertion

common in current-generation products. Second, the T cell receptor (TCR) is eliminated to enable off-the-shelf use of a single batch of product in many different patients. Finally, the class 1 major histocompatibility complex (MHC I) is eliminated to improve durability of the CAR-T cells in the off-the-shelf setting. CTX101 is based on healthy donor cells that are edited ex vivo using CRISPR/Cas9, a process that the company has optimized and successfully transitioned to a GMP-capable CMO. CRISPR anticipates filing and IND with the US FDA in late 2018 with clinical trials beginning for CTX101 in early 2019.

To supplement its internal programs, the company is continuing to develop collaborations in immuno-oncology, and recently announced a two-year research collaboration and license option agreement with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) to develop novel T cell therapies for cancer and a partnership with Neon Therapeutics to create neo-antigen based T-cell constructs. Marcela V. Maus, MD, PhD, Director of the Cellular Immunotherapy Program at MGHCC and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical, will lead the scientific work at MGH.

About CRISPR Therapeutics

CRISPR Therapeutics is a leading gene-editing company focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases using its proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing platform. CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary technology that allows for precise, directed changes to genomic DNA. The company’s multi-disciplinary team of world-class researchers and drug developers is working to translate this technology into breakthrough human therapeutics in a number of serious diseases. Additionally, CRISPR Therapeutics has established strategic collaborations with Bayer AG and Vertex Pharmaceuticals to develop CRISPR-based therapeutics in diseases with high unmet need. The foundational CRISPR/Cas9 patent estate for human therapeutic use was licensed from the company’s scientific founder Emmanuelle Charpentier, Ph.D. CRISPR Therapeutics AG is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, with its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, CRISPR Therapeutics, Inc., and R&D operations based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit http://www.crisprtx.com.

CRISPR Forward-Looking Statement

Certain statements set forth in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, but not limited to, statements concerning: the timing of filing of clinical trial applications and INDs and timing of commencement of clinical trials, the intellectual property coverage and positions of the Company, its licensors and third parties, the sufficiency of the Company’s cash resources and the therapeutic value, development, and commercial potential of CRISPR/Cas-9 gene editing technologies and therapies. You are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Although the Company believes that such statements are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, the forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and they

are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk. Actual performance and results may differ materially from those projected or suggested in the forward-looking statements due to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: uncertainties regarding the intellectual property protection for our technology and intellectual property belonging to third parties; uncertainties inherent in the initiation and completion of preclinical studies for the Company’s product candidates; availability and timing of results from preclinical studies; whether results from a preclinical trial will be predictive of future results of the future trials; expectations for regulatory approvals to conduct trials or to market products; and those risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and in any other subsequent filings made by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made.

Media Contacts:

Jennifer Paganelli

WCG on behalf of CRISPR

1 347-658-8290

jpaganelli@wcgworld.com

Investor Contacts:

Chris Erdman

chris.erdman@crisprtx.com

617.307.7227

Chris Brinzey

Westwicke Partners for CRISPR

339-970-2843

chris.brinzey@westwicke.com

EX-99.3

Exhibit 99.3

CRISPR Therapeutics and Casebia Collaborate with CureVac on mRNA

for Gene-Editing Programs

- CureVac’s mRNA technology accessed to express Cas9 for in vivo liver-targeted therapies -

Zug, Switzerland, Cambridge, Mass., Tübingen, Germany, and Boston, Mass., Nov. 13, - CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CRSP), a genome editing company focused on creating transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases, Casebia Therapeutics, a joint-venture established by CRISPR Therapeutics and Bayer AG for developing CRISPR-based therapeutics in select disease areas, and CureVac AG, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering mRNA-based drugs, today announced they have signed a collaboration agreement.

Under the terms of the agreement, CureVac will develop novel Cas9 mRNA constructs with improved properties for gene editing applications, such as increased potency, decreased duration of expression, and reduced potential for immunogenicity. CRISPR Therapeutics and Casebia have obtained an exclusive license to the improved constructs for use in three of their in vivo gene-editing programs in liver diseases. CureVac will also provide mRNA manufacturing through clinical development and commercialization of the three programs. In exchange, CureVac will receive an upfront payment and research funding, and will be eligible to receive development and commercial milestones and royalties on commercialized products arising from the collaboration.

“This collaboration with CRISPR Therapeutics demonstrates the breadth of CureVac’s RNArt^® technology and its potential in the field of genome editing,” stated Dan Menichella, CBO of CureVac AG and CEO of CureVac Inc. “With this collaboration we have the opportunity to combine CRISPR’s cutting-edge genome editing technology with CureVac’s mRNA expertise to potentially deliver transformative therapies to patients.”

Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D., President and CBO of CRISPR Therapeutics commented, “Enabling in vivo CRISPR-based therapies is a strategic priority for CRISPR. Together with Casebia, we are continuing to make deliberate investments to access the highest quality technologies for in vivo delivery. CureVac is an industry-leader in mRNA development and manufacturing, and we are excited to have the opportunity to partner with them.”

About CRISPR Therapeutics

CRISPR Therapeutics is a leading gene-editing company focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases using its proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing platform. CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary technology that allows for precise, directed changes to genomic DNA. The company’s multi-disciplinary team of world-class researchers and drug developers is working to translate this technology into breakthrough human therapeutics in a number of serious diseases. Additionally, CRISPR Therapeutics has established strategic collaborations with Bayer AG and Vertex Pharmaceuticals to develop CRISPR-based therapeutics in diseases with high unmet need. The foundational CRISPR/Cas9 patent estate for human therapeutic use was licensed from the company’s scientific founder Emmanuelle Charpentier, Ph.D. CRISPR Therapeutics AG is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, with its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, CRISPR Therapeutics, Inc., and R&D operations based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit http://www.crisprtx.com.

About Casebia Therapeutics

Casebia Therapeutics is a joint venture between Bayer and CRISPR Therapeutics, focused on discovering, developing and commercializing CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing therapeutics to treat the genetic causes of bleeding disorders, autoimmune disease, blindness, hearing loss and heart disease. Formed in March 2016, Casebia has access to gene-editing technology from CRISPR Therapeutics in specific disease areas, as well as access to protein engineering expertise and relevant disease know-how through Bayer. Casebia is a free-standing entity, equally owned by Bayer and CRISPR Therapeutics, with its own scientific leadership and management team. The company’s Board of Directors has equal composition from Bayer and CRISPR Therapeutics. Casebia’s primary base of research operations is in Cambridge, MA, with a second site in San Francisco, CA. For more information, please visit www.casebia.com.

About CureVac

Founded in Germany in the year 2000, CureVac is a leading company in the field of messenger RNA (mRNA) technology with more than 17 years expertise in handling, optimizing and manufacturing this versatile molecule for medical purposes. The principle of CureVac’s proprietary technology is the use of mRNA as a data carrier to instruct the human body to produce its own proteins capable of fighting a wide range of diseases. The company applies its technologies for the development of cancer therapies, prophylactic vaccines and molecular therapies. The company employs a workforce of around 340 RNA people at locations in Germany and Boston, Mass. To date, CureVac has received approximately $420 million (€400 million) in equity investments including significant investments from SAP founder Dietmar Hopp’s dievini and an investment of $52 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. CureVac has also entered into collaborations with multinational corporations and organizations, including Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Sanofi Pasteur and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2006, CureVac successfully established the worldwide first GMP facility for the manufacturing of mRNA. In 2017 CureVac started the establishment and construction of industrial scale production facilities. To learn more about CureVac, please visit us at http://www.curevac.com.

CRISPR Forward-Looking Statement

Certain statements set forth in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, but not limited to, statements concerning: the timing of filing of clinical trial applications and INDs and timing of commencement of clinical trials, the intellectual property coverage and positions of the Company, its licensors and third parties, the sufficiency of the Company’s cash resources and the therapeutic value, development, and commercial potential of CRISPR/Cas-9 gene editing technologies and therapies. You are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Although the Company believes that such statements are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, the forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and they are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk. Actual performance and results may differ materially from those projected or suggested in the forward-looking statements due to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: uncertainties regarding the intellectual property protection for our technology and intellectual property belonging to third parties; uncertainties inherent in the initiation and completion of preclinical studies for the Company’s product candidates; availability and timing of results from preclinical studies; whether results from a preclinical

trial will be predictive of future results of the future trials; expectations for regulatory approvals to conduct trials or to market products; and those risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and in any other subsequent filings made by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made.

For CureVac

Verena Lauterbach

verena.lauterbach@curevac.com

T: +49 (7071) 9883-1756

Lauren Parikhal

BMC Communications for CureVac

lparikhal@bmccommunications.com

T: +1 (646) 513-3117

For CRISPR Therapeutics

Media Contact:

Jennifer Paganelli

WCG for CRISPR

jpaganelli@wcgworld.com

T: +1 (347) 658-8290

Investor Contact:

Chris Erdman

chris.erdman@crisprtx.com

T: +1 (617) 307-7227

Chris Brinzey

Westwicke Partners for CRISPR

chris.brinzey@westwicke.com

T: +1 (339) 970-2843

For Casebia Therapeutics

Media Contact:

Paul Goldsmith

Ten Bridge Communications for Casebia

paul@tenbridgecommunications.com

T: +1 (617) 697-3479