Cellectis, a France-based gene-editing technology developer backed by pharmaceutical company Pfizer, filed for an initial public offering on Nasdaq on Friday in which it could raise up to $115m.
Cellectis is working on cancer treatments that use gene-edited T-cells to spur the immune system to target and eradicate cancers. Founded in 1999, it originally floated on the Alternext market in Paris in 2007.
Pfizer owns a 9.5% share of Cellectis, while state-backed investment firm BPIfrance holds a 10.4% stake. Pfizer paid $35.3m for a 10% stake in Cellectis in July 2014 in conjunction with a research and collaboration agreement between the companies.
The IPO proceeds will be used to advance Cellectis’ various immune-oncology product candidates, and to pursue research on cell technology, treatments outside oncology, and its agricultural biotechnology business.
BofA Merrill Lynch, Jefferies, Piper Jaffray and Oppenheimer are the joint bookrunners for the offering. Trout Capital is also acting as an underwriter.