Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money

When you look at Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL), a clinical-stage gene editing company, do you see a biotech powerhouse or a speculative bet, especially with their proprietary ARCUS® platform driving multiple in vivo programs? Honestly, the numbers force a closer look: as of November 2025, the company holds a market capitalization of about $141.54 Million, yet its trailing twelve-month revenue sits at a lean $698K, a massive drop from 2024's $68.70 Million annual revenue. The story here isn't about current sales, but about the near-term pipeline catalysts, like the late-breaking oral presentation of their PBGENE-HBV data at the 2025 Liver Meeting and the anticipated Investigational New Drug (IND) filing for PBGENE-DMD by year-end, which are the real drivers of that valuation. So, how does a company with such a small revenue base sustain a multi-million dollar valuation, and what does their unique technology mean for the future of gene editing?

Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL) History

You want to understand the foundation of Precision BioSciences, Inc. to gauge its trajectory, and the core takeaway is simple: this company is a clinical-stage biotech built on a proprietary, differentiated gene editing tool, ARCUS, and its history is a series of strategic pivots from an academic discovery into a focused in vivo therapy developer with significant pharma backing.

The company's evolution shows a clear shift from broad platform development to a razor-sharp focus on high-unmet-need genetic and infectious diseases, a move reflected in its recent Q3 2025 financials.

Given Company's Founding Timeline

Year established

Precision BioSciences was established in 2006, emerging from research at Duke University.

Original location

The company was founded and remains headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, a key part of the Research Triangle Park area.

Founding team members

The company was co-founded by two Duke University postdoctoral fellows and a business student:

• Derek Jantz (Postdoctoral Fellow)
• Jeff Smith (Postdoctoral Fellow)
• Matt Kane (Fuqua School of Business student, later CEO)

Initial capital/funding

The earliest capital came through private funding rounds, specifically a Series A led by venBio to develop the ARCUS genome editing platform, followed by a Series B to fund initial product development efforts. The exact seed capital is not public, but the company later raised $126 million in its 2019 Initial Public Offering (IPO).

Given Company's Evolution Milestones

Given Company's Transformative Moments

The most transformative decisions for Precision BioSciences have centered on refining their focus and securing capital to validate the ARCUS platform in the clinic. To be fair, a clinical-stage biotech must constantly manage cash burn against pipeline progress.

The first major pivot was the 2021 spin-off of Elo Life Systems. This move was crucial because it allowed the company to concentrate its limited resources-and its scientific talent-solely on the high-value, high-risk human therapeutic applications of ARCUS, specifically in vivo gene editing and allogeneic CAR T cell therapies. That's a defintely clear strategic choice.

Also, the November 2020 partnership with Eli Lilly was a massive validation, bringing in a major pharmaceutical partner to accelerate the development of in vivo gene editing for genetic disorders. This kind of deal maps the near-term risk of a clinical-stage company to a clear, long-term opportunity.

The recent financial activity in 2025 highlights the current reality: the company is burning cash to advance its programs, but it continues to attract capital based on its platform's potential.

• Pipeline Focus: Progressing the PBGENE-HBV program for chronic hepatitis B, which showed promising Phase 1 data in Q3 2025.
• Financial Reality: The trailing 12-month (TTM) net loss ending September 30, 2025, was approximately ($83.6 million), demonstrating the cost of clinical development.
• Capital Injection: The $75 million offering announced in November 2025 provides runway, projected to support operations into the second half of 2027.

For a deeper dive into their guiding principles, you should review the Mission Statement, Vision, & Core Values of Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL).

Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL) Ownership Structure

The ownership structure of Precision BioSciences, Inc. is a mix, with institutional investors holding the largest block, but a significant portion rests with the retail public, suggesting a widely disseminated float and shared influence over the company's direction.

This distribution means that while large funds provide a foundation of stability, the collective decisions of individual investors defintely play a major role in stock volatility and key shareholder votes.

Precision BioSciences, Inc.'s Current Status

Precision BioSciences is a publicly traded, clinical-stage gene editing company. You can find its common stock listed on the NASDAQ exchange under the ticker symbol DTIL.

The company raised $126 million in its Initial Public Offering (IPO) back in March 2019. As of November 2025, the company has a market capitalization of approximately $77.55 million, reflecting the high-risk, high-reward nature of the biotechnology sector. For example, the company reported a quarterly loss of $1.84 per share for the quarter ended September 2025, showing the capital-intensive nature of its research and development pipeline.

Precision BioSciences, Inc.'s Ownership Breakdown

The company's ownership is split among three main groups-Institutions, Retail, and Insiders-with a substantial portion held by a diverse public float. Here's the quick math on who controls the shares as of November 2025:

What this estimate hides is the concentration: the top 25 shareholders collectively hold less than half of the business, meaning no single dominant shareholder dictates policy. You should check out Exploring Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL) Investor Profile: Who's Buying and Why? for a deeper dive into the major institutional holders.

Precision BioSciences, Inc.'s Leadership

The company is steered by an experienced management team, with an average tenure of 3.5 years. This stability is crucial for a clinical-stage biotech navigating complex regulatory and development timelines.

• Michael Amoroso (Chief Executive Officer): Appointed in October 2021, he leads the strategic pivot to focus on in vivo (inside the body) gene editing therapies. His total yearly compensation is approximately $4.31 million, aligning his incentives with company performance.
• Cindy Atwell (Chief Development and Business Officer): Promoted in January 2025, she oversees all development functions-clinical, regulatory, and business development-including the lead PBGENE-HBV program.
• Cassie Gorsuch, PhD (Chief Scientific Officer): Also promoted in January 2025, Dr. Gorsuch is responsible for non-clinical development and gene therapy discovery, ensuring the ARCUS platform's scientific rigor.
• Jeff Smith (Co-Founder and Chief Research Officer): A key figure in the company's foundation, he continues to guide the core research strategy.
• Murray Abramson, MD, MPH (Senior Vice President, Head of Clinical Development): Appointed in September 2024, Dr. Abramson brings expertise in infectious diseases and drug development, critical for advancing the clinical pipeline.

The leadership's focus is clear: translate the proprietary ARCUS genome editing platform into lasting cures for diseases with high unmet need.

Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL) Mission and Values

Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL) is fundamentally driven by a clear, singular purpose: to improve life through the revolutionary power of genome editing (the precise modification of an organism's genetic material). This mission is the lens through which every strategic and financial decision is made, even as the company navigates a challenging business environment, evidenced by a projected fiscal year 2025 revenue of just $11.02 million, down sharply from the prior year's $68.7 million, as they focus on their core therapeutic pipeline.

Precision BioSciences' Core Purpose

You're looking at a company that's operating at the absolute frontier of medicine, so their core purpose has to be about more than just quarterly earnings; it's about lasting patient impact. Their work on in vivo gene editing-fixing the problem inside the body-is the ultimate expression of this commitment.

Official Mission Statement

The company's formal mission statement is concise and powerful, reflecting a focus on their proprietary technology, ARCUS, as the engine for change. It's a simple, direct statement of intent.

• Improve life with genome editing.

This mission is the bedrock for their development of therapies for diseases with high unmet need, like their PBGENE-HBV program for chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and PBGENE-DMD for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

Vision Statement

While the company doesn't publish a single-sentence vision statement, their actions and public communications map out a clear long-term aspiration. The vision centers on becoming the leader in a new class of gene editing medicines that offer permanent solutions.

• Achieve lasting cures for the broadest range of genetic and infectious diseases where no adequate treatments exist.
• Lead the way in genome editing to create life-changing medicines.

To fund this ambitious vision, the company must raise capital; for example, they announced a $75 million offering of common stock and warrants in November 2025 to keep these critical programs moving forward. You can dig deeper into who is funding this vision by Exploring Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL) Investor Profile: Who's Buying and Why?

Precision BioSciences Slogan/Tagline

The company's most consistently used phrase is an extension of its mission, often appearing in their official press releases and corporate descriptions. It's a clean one-liner that tells you everything you need to know about their dedication.

• Dedicated to improving life (DTIL).

This dedication requires a culture built on specific, non-negotiable values. Though not formally listed, their operational focus reveals core tenets like scientific rigor, innovation, collaboration, and a relentless patient focus. Honesty, the science is so complex, you defintely need a culture that values precision above all else.

Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL) How It Works

Precision BioSciences, Inc. operates by developing potentially curative gene editing therapies using its proprietary ARCUS platform, a unique DNA-cutting enzyme that allows for highly precise and versatile edits directly within the patient's body (in vivo gene editing).

The company has strategically pivoted its focus to wholly-owned in vivo programs for genetic and infectious diseases, while out-licensing its allogeneic CAR T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell) candidates, like azer-cel, to partners for development in oncology and autoimmune disorders.

Precision BioSciences, Inc.'s Product/Service Portfolio

Precision BioSciences, Inc.'s Operational Framework

The company's operational framework centers on the rapid, capital-efficient advancement of its wholly-owned in vivo pipeline, which is less costly and complex than manufacturing autologous (patient-specific) therapies. Honestly, this focus on in vivo is a smart way to stretch their capital.

• Platform Engineering: Design and optimize ARCUS nucleases-derived from single-cell green algae-to target specific DNA sequences for elimination, insertion, or excision.
• Delivery System: Package the small ARCUS nuclease into a single Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) vector for systemic delivery, primarily targeting the liver and muscle.
• Clinical Acceleration: Prioritize and accelerate programs like PBGENE-DMD, aiming for an Investigational New Drug (IND) filing by the end of 2025 to move quickly into Phase 1 clinical trials.
• Financial Management: Maintain a lean structure, which, combined with a recent $75 million gross stock offering in November 2025 and an $8 million milestone payment from Imugene, extends the cash runway into the second half of 2027.
• Monetization: Generate non-dilutive revenue through strategic out-licensing of ex vivo programs (like azer-cel to Imugene and TG Therapeutics) and early-stage in vivo programs (like ECUR-506 to iECURE).

Here's the quick math on their burn: The Q3 2025 net loss was $21.8 million, with R&D expenses at $13.4 million, showing a tight control on operational costs to maximize clinical trial progress. You can dive deeper into the numbers by reading Breaking Down Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL) Financial Health: Key Insights for Investors.

Precision BioSciences, Inc.'s Strategic Advantages

Precision BioSciences' market success hinges on the technical superiority and versatility of its ARCUS gene editing platform compared to competitors like CRISPR/Cas9. It's a defintely a differentiated technology.

• Smaller Size: The ARCUS nuclease is significantly smaller than CRISPR/Cas9, making it easier to package into a single AAV vector for efficient delivery to target cells, a critical advantage for in vivo therapies.
• High Precision and Versatility: ARCUS can perform a wide range of sophisticated edits-including gene insertion, elimination, and large-segment excision-and has shown the ability to achieve transgene insertion rates up to 40% in non-dividing primary human hepatocytes (liver cells).
• Gene Insertion in Non-Dividing Cells: A key differentiator is ARCUS's ability to generate 3' overhang ends at DNA break sites, which facilitates high-efficiency gene insertion in both dividing and non-dividing cells, like liver cells, which is essential for treating many genetic diseases.
• Proprietary Control: Unlike many CRISPR-based companies which face a complex intellectual property landscape, Precision BioSciences has full control over its proprietary ARCUS platform, simplifying development and commercialization.

What this estimate hides is the inherent risk of a clinical-stage biotech: the success of the entire model relies on positive Phase 1 and Phase 2 data from PBGENE-HBV and PBGENE-DMD. Still, the extended cash runway gives them ample time to generate that critical data.

Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL) How It Makes Money

Precision BioSciences, Inc. operates as a clinical-stage biotechnology company, meaning it does not sell commercial products; instead, it generates revenue primarily through strategic collaboration agreements and research funding tied to its proprietary ARCUS genome editing platform.

The company's financial success in the near-term is defintely measured by its ability to secure upfront payments and non-dilutive milestone payments from partners, which validates the platform's technology and funds the costly research and development (R&D) of its wholly-owned therapeutic candidates like PBGENE-HBV and PBGENE-DMD.

Precision BioSciences, Inc. Revenue Breakdown

As a pre-commercial business, Precision BioSciences' revenue is volatile and tied directly to the accounting recognition of its collaboration agreements. For the third quarter of the 2025 fiscal year, total recognized revenue was extremely low, reflecting a period of reduced billable effort under key partnerships.

Here's the quick math: The company reported total revenue of just $\mathbf{\$ 1 3 \text{ thousand}}$ for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, which is a massive drop from the $\mathbf{\$ 17 . 6 \text{ million}}$ reported in the first quarter of 2024, for example. This recognized revenue is essentially the amortization of prior upfront payments or fees for services rendered under existing deals, such as the Novartis Agreement, which is nearing completion of its pre-clinical workplan. What this estimate hides is the cash flow from non-revenue-recognized events, like the recent $\mathbf{\$ 8 \text{ million}}$ milestone payment from partner Imugene, which is crucial for funding operations but may be recorded as deferred revenue initially.

Business Economics

The economics of a clinical-stage biotech like Precision BioSciences are fundamentally different from a commercial company; the core economic driver is the intellectual property (IP) value of the ARCUS platform and the successful de-risking of its clinical pipeline.

• High R&D Burn: The business requires constant, significant investment. Research and Development (R&D) expenses were $\mathbf{\$ 13 . 4 \text{ million}}$ in Q3 2025, which is the primary operational cost, dwarfing the $\mathbf{\$ 7 . 3 \text{ million}}$ in General and Administrative (G&A) expenses.
• Valuation by Pipeline: The company's value is not based on current revenue but on the potential net present value (NPV) of future drug sales, which hinges on positive Phase 1 data for programs like PBGENE-HBV and successful Investigational New Drug (IND) filings for candidates like PBGENE-DMD.
• Pricing Strategy: The future pricing model for its in vivo gene editing therapies, if approved, will likely be a high-cost, one-time curative treatment model, similar to other gene therapies, potentially commanding prices in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars per patient.

You're investing in a lottery ticket with a massive potential payout, but the ticket costs millions to keep active every quarter. You can learn more about the institutional interest in this model by reading Exploring Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL) Investor Profile: Who's Buying and Why?

Precision BioSciences, Inc. Financial Performance

The company's financial performance in 2025 reflects the typical profile of a clinical-stage biotech: low revenue and substantial losses, but with a strong focus on cash management and clinical execution.

• Net Loss: The net loss for the third quarter of 2025 was $\mathbf{\$ 21 . 8 \text{ million}}$, translating to a net loss per share of $\mathbf{(\$ 1 . 8 4)}$. This persistent loss is expected as the company funds its clinical trials.
• Liquidity and Cash Runway: As of September 30, 2025, the company held approximately $\mathbf{\$ 71 . 2 \text{ million}}$ in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash. Critically, management projects this cash position, combined with operational efficiencies and partner milestones, will extend the cash runway into the second half of 2027. This is the single most important number for a pre-revenue biotech.
• Operational Focus: The slight increase in R&D expenses to $\mathbf{\$ 13 . 4 \text{ million}}$ over the prior year is primarily driven by the advancement of the PBGENE-DMD program, which is on track for an IND filing by the end of 2025. This shows capital is being deployed to hit critical clinical milestones.

The company is trading development progress for cash burn, which is the right move for a platform technology.

Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL) Market Position & Future Outlook

Precision BioSciences is positioned as a high-risk, high-reward player in the clinical-stage gene editing space, anchored by its proprietary ARCUS platform. The company's future hinges on its ability to translate promising preclinical and early-stage clinical data, particularly in chronic Hepatitis B and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, into the later-stage validation that investors defintely need to see.

While the company's full-year 2025 revenue is projected at $22.1 million, its Q3 2025 revenue of just $0.01 million shows the revenue stream is highly dependent on collaboration milestones, not commercial sales. You need to focus on pipeline progress, not near-term revenue, to understand this stock.

Competitive Landscape

In the gene editing and allogeneic cell therapy markets, Precision BioSciences competes against companies with significantly larger market capitalizations, which reflect a greater investor confidence in their technology and clinical progress. To be fair, market share here is a proxy, calculated as a percentage of the total market capitalization of this peer group, since no one is selling a mass-market product yet.

Opportunities & Challenges

The core opportunity for Precision BioSciences lies in the versatility of its ARCUS platform, which allows for different types of edits-insertion, elimination, and excision-that other technologies struggle with. But, still, this is a clinical-stage biotech, so the risks are substantial, especially around financing and trial execution.

Industry Position

Precision BioSciences is currently a micro-cap company with a market capitalization of roughly $0.14 Billion, placing it well behind the industry leaders like CRISPR Therapeutics. Its industry standing rests on the technical differentiation of the ARCUS nuclease, which is smaller and simpler than CRISPR/Cas systems, potentially offering a better delivery profile for in vivo therapies.

The company has approximately $100 million in cash as of March 31, 2025, which, coupled with the recent $75 million raise, is expected to extend the cash runway into the second half of 2026. Here's the quick math: that cash is critical to funding the two lead programs, PBGENE-HBV and PBGENE-DMD, through key data readouts. Failure to hit those milestones will make the next capital raise much harder. For a deeper dive on the balance sheet, you should read Breaking Down Precision BioSciences, Inc. (DTIL) Financial Health: Key Insights for Investors.

• Maintain a focus on the in vivo pipeline, as the allogeneic CAR T assets were previously divested, shifting the company's strategic center [cite: 15 (from previous step)].
• Watch for data from the PBGENE-HBV Phase 1 trial throughout 2025 for signs of sustained viral editing.
• Monitor the IND/CTA filing for PBGENE-DMD; this is a major catalyst for the stock in the near term.