New York, Jan 23, 2026, 05:47 (EST) — Premarket
- Shares edged slightly lower in early trading, following a strong rally on Thursday
- According to an SEC filing, CEO Samarth Kulkarni sold shares through a pre-arranged trading plan
- Options trading and new analyst reports kept the gene-editing stock in focus for traders
CRISPR Therapeutics AG shares slipped about 0.5% to $60.51 in premarket trading on Friday, following a sharp 11.1% gain the previous day. The stock closed at $60.81 on Thursday after hitting an intraday high of $60.86 and seeing over 3.4 million shares change hands. Investors were reacting to an insider-sale filing.
The move highlighted just how volatile the stock remains. CRISPR is behaving more like a high-beta biotech than a reliable cash-flow play, with the tape influencing the price as much as its pipeline does.
That’s crucial now, as investors look for evidence the company can turn an initial commercial launch into steady revenue, even while biotech risk appetite wavers. Case in point: Bristol Myers Squibb on Thursday struck a deal with Janux Therapeutics, sending Janux shares sharply higher in premarket trading.
A recent SEC filing revealed that CEO Samarth Kulkarni sold 90,000 common shares on Jan. 20 and Jan. 22, fetching weighted-average prices between $51.61 and $60.23. Those sales totaled roughly $5.2 million, executed under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, which allows insiders to trade on a preset schedule without making immediate decisions. Following these transactions, Kulkarni still directly owns 134,201 shares and indirectly holds 85,622 shares through a grantor retained annuity trust, according to the filing.
Bank of America’s Alec Stranahan trimmed his price target to $89 from $90 but maintained a Buy rating, TheFly reported. He nudged down Casgevy’s 2026 outlook slightly, yet still expects sequential growth this year.
Options traders stepped up their activity as CRISPR options volume hit 12,181 contracts on Thursday, according to Nasdaq data. The spotlight was on April $90 calls—these options let buyers lock in a $90 purchase price until the April 17 expiration.
Casgevy, developed alongside Vertex Pharmaceuticals, is an ex vivo gene-editing therapy where a patient’s own blood stem cells are modified and then reintroduced. On Jan. 12, CRISPR reported Casgevy surpassed $100 million in revenue in 2025, with over 60 patients treated so far. The company also revealed it entered 2026 with roughly $2 billion in cash and marketable securities. Quarterly updates on the therapy’s rollout are planned, alongside regulatory submissions—led by Vertex—targeting younger patients aged 5 to 11, expected in the first half of 2026.
The commercial rollout is still the key variable. Casgevy needs chemotherapy and a complex hospital protocol, so any delays in treatment availability, reimbursement, or manufacturing could limit growth in the near term. Competitors like bluebird bio’s Lyfgenia continue to factor into the competitive landscape.
On Friday, traders will be watching to see if the stock maintains Thursday’s breakout when regular trading begins, and if options positioning fuels intraday volatility.
CRISPR’s quarterly report, expected Feb. 10 according to Wall Street calendars like Zacks, should offer the next clear update on Casgevy uptake and cash burn.
