From Bamboo Roots to Genetic Breakthroughs: Why Both CRISPR Therapeutics and NTLA Deserve a Spot in Your Portfolio

Unlike my all-time favorite in the AI space—Palantir—gene editing pioneers like CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) and Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) have taken a quieter, more patient path. Their growth is less a sudden rocket and more akin to the bamboo: silent, persistent, and soon, ready to shoot skyward.

I started paying serious attention to this field after reading The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson, a gripping account of Jennifer Doudna and the birth of CRISPR technology. It struck me how gene editing is a lot like patching the code of an operating system—sometimes you fix a glitch, sometimes you rebuild from the root. But here, the “software” is human life itself.

So why write about it now? Because just like bamboo, the moment when growth bursts into view is near. The recent, highly publicized “failed” trial at Intellia wasn’t a setback, but a historic leap. It marked the world’s first true gene insertion attempt inside a human body—a stepping stone that every innovator knows paves the road to future breakthroughs.

Why CRISPR Therapeutics Stands Tall

CRISPR Therapeutics is a biotech leader wielding the now-famous “genetic scissors”—the CRISPR/Cas9 platform—to fix or silence faulty genes.

• Ex Vivo Pioneers: Their flagship therapy (CTX001, branded as CASGEVY®) is the world’s first FDA-approved CRISPR treatment, curing sickle cell disease and β-thalassemia by editing a patient’s stem cells outside the body, then reinfusing them.
• Expanding Horizons: Beyond blood disorders, CRISPR is scaling into cancer immunotherapy (off-the-shelf CAR-T) and cardiovascular disease, targeting conditions like high cholesterol with in-body (in vivo) approaches.
• Financial Muscle: With nearly $1.7B in cash and a deep partnership with Vertex Pharmaceuticals, CRISPR can fuel R&D for years—essential for surviving the notorious biotech “valley of death.”
• Long-Term Vision: They don’t just treat symptoms; they aim for cures, directly targeting the genetic root cause.

 Where Intellia Sets a New Standard

If CRISPR is the steady hand, Intellia Therapeutics is the audacious innovator taking CRISPR into uncharted territory—inside the living body.

• First In Vivo Human Editing: Intellia’s NTLA-2001 is the first-ever to use CRISPR as a “one-and-done” IV therapy. No need to remove cells; just a single dose directly edits the culprit gene in the liver to treat rare diseases like ATTR amyloidosis.
• Smart Focus: Their pipeline is laser-focused on liver diseases (like hereditary angioedema), where results are clear, biomarkers are measurable, and the clinical impact is immediate.
• Breakthroughs from ‘Failures’: NTLA-3001, though discontinued, was the world’s first human test of gene insertion via CRISPR in vivo. Even the attempt yields invaluable data for the next wave of treatments.
• Solid Foundation: Over $1B in cash and a robust partnership with Regeneron positions Intellia for sustained innovation and commercialization.

 

CRISPR vs. Intellia – Pipeline & Focus

	CRSP	NTLA
Ex Vivo (Blood)	✔️
Ex Vivo (CAR-T)	✔️
In Vivo (Liver)	✔️	✔️
In Vivo (Cardio)	✔️
Liver Rare Disease		✔️
Oncology	✔️

 

Where They Differ—And Why It Matters : Ex Vivo vs. In Vivo Delivery

Feature	CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP)	Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA)
Delivery	Ex Vivo: Cells edited outside the body	In Vivo: Gene edited directly in the body
FDA Approval	FDA-approved (CASGEVY®)	First in vivo trial, late-stage clinical
Disease Focus	Blood, cancer, cholesterol	Liver diseases (ATTR, HAE)
Manufacturing	Cell-processing facilities	Lipid nanoparticle platform
Key Partnership	Vertex Pharmaceuticals	Regeneron

   Timeline of Major Gene Editing Milestones

• 2012: CRISPR discovered as a gene editing tool
• 2020: CRSP’s CTX001 first ex vivo patient dosed
• 2023: FDA approval for CASGEVY®
• 2021: NTLA’s NTLA-2001, first in vivo human gene editing
• 2024: NTLA-3001, first in vivo gene insertion trial attempted

 Financial Health -

Metric	CRSP (Q1 2025)	NTLA (Q1 2025)
Cash & Equiv.	$1.69 billion	$1.01 billion
R&D Spend (2024)	$510 million	$370 million
Cash Runway	Late 2026	Mid 2026
Market Cap (May)	~$10 billion	~$8 billion

Why Investors Need Both

The “bamboo moment” in gene editing will not be a winner-take-all event. CRISPR Therapeutics and Intellia Therapeutics offer complementary bets:

• Different Modalities: CRSP’s ex vivo and NTLA’s in vivo strategies both unlock massive market opportunities across different disease areas.
• Mutual Risk Mitigation: Investing in both diversifies your exposure; if one technology stumbles, the other may still succeed.
• Shared Knowledge, Accelerated Progress: Even when one “fails” (like NTLA-3001), the learning accelerates the whole field—and both companies have the cash and partnerships to keep moving forward.

Additionally if we just need to list the top 5 gene editing stocks out there here is a simple graphics to list them - 

Final Thought:
Just as bamboo’s growth is invisible until it suddenly surges, gene editing’s breakthroughs are approaching a visible tipping point. The investor who appreciates the quiet, persistent groundwork—and sees the value in both ex vivo and in vivo innovation—will be well positioned for the rewards when the “bamboo shoots” finally burst above ground.

 Stay figgy,

The Figured Figs Team 🌱

Disclaimer: “This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. Readers are encouraged to consult a licensed professional before making any financial decisions."