Needham analyst Alan Carr initiated CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) with a Buy rating and a price target of $62 based on its position as a "leader in gene editing". The analyst notes that the company is "initially focused on ex vivo applications of the technology associated with reduced technical and safety risks", which he believes to hold "substantial value, particularly in immuno-oncology." Carr adds that with Crispr and collaborator Vertex (VRTX) recently launching a clinical development of CTX-001 in Beta Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease, he estimates the company to launch these products in the U.S. in 2022 and 2023, respectively.