I know it’s going to sound weird, but I actually stumbled upon this potential billion-dollar industry on YouTube.
I was scrolling through a series of educational videos when I saw a title that sparked my interest. What I watched was the unfurling of one of the greatest innovations of our lifetime.
This video, through cute animated people and plants, explained a new gene-editing method called CRISPR-Cas9.
Through this gene-editing method, humans could be genetically edited to be born with gills and wings. They could weather the harsh environments of other planets. They could be born with high IQs. Heck, in theory, you could even program your kids to leave the nest right at 18.
After watching the video, I did some of my own research.
What I Learned
What I came across was the truth.
It turns out CRISPR-Cas9 has been in the news for the last couple of years. In 2014, it became the subject of a fairly well-publicized patent war. That war was between two major universities and their respective scientists, both of them vying to hold the vastly valuable CRISPR-Cas9 patent.
That said, I also stumbled upon some sadder research.
It looks like we’re actually fairly far away from flying and water-adept humans. However, that doesn’t make CRISPR-Cas9 any less extraordinary.
Currently, this technology is being used to target more immediate issues than surviving on other planets. I am talking about the diseases that kill humans by the millions.
Cancer, Alzheimer’s, and HIV…
That’s why Bloomberg is calling CRISPR-Cas9 “the discovery of the century” and Science magazine is calling it “the breakthrough of the year.”
But this is about more than just combating the worst diseases in history. It’s also about opening the door to a whole new realm of medicine: the vastly profitable young industry of gene editing.
With more research, I learned that CRISPR-Cas9 could form the foundation of a billion-dollar gene-editing industry. And investors who find the right companies will be both participating in history and making bank.
But before we get to the companies, let’s take a look at why CRISPR-Cas9 is so revolutionary.
I’ve done my best to break down this incredible technology into the basics. That way anyone, regardless of medical or technical background, can understand why our world is about to change.
How Does CRISPR-Cas9 work?
Put simply, CRISPR-Cas9 is a gene-editing method that we modeled after ancient creatures. The ancient creatures in question are viruses and bacteria.
Since the dawn of time, bacteria have been defending themselves against viruses.
When a virus infiltrates a bacterium, the bacterium “steals” a strip of the virus’s DNA. Then it keeps that DNA for the next time the virus makes an appearance. The bacterium then uses the virus’s DNA to create DNA segments known as CRISPR arrays.
Bacteria use this process to identify a virus the next time it comes knocking. That’s how bacteria defend themselves.
For millions of years, bacteria sat on this secret weapon. It wasn’t until 2012 that humans figured out that a similar process could be used with human cells.
You could potentially engineer cells to become cancer finders. Or you could engineer cells not to age.
In animals, CRISPR-Cas9 has already been used to edit pig DNA, making it possible to transplant pig organs into humans.
In 2017, testing was done to see if the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing method could be used to eliminate HIV in infected rodents.
Just one treatment removed all traces of infection from the mouse’s organs and tissue.
You may be in awe hearing this. I know I was. I feel like I am watching the next age of medicine emerge.
And the next step is knowing how to profit.
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So How Do You Make a Profit?
The key to understanding the profit potential behind CRISPR-Cas9 is understanding the trillion-dollar industry it’s about to disrupt.
I probably don’t have to tell you this, but the costs of medical care in this country are outrageous.
I have no doubt you’ve uttered this to yourself, probably while writing an expensive check. Just last week, I flushed $90 down the drain for a routine checkup.
And that is a small medical cost. If you are contending with a more life-threatening illness, the costs are often much higher.
In the United States, an average of $173 billion is spent every year on cancer research. Heart disease treatment costs another $200 million annually. Then there is diabetes, which is on the rise and costs Americans $245 billion annually.
Those are some big numbers, and they aren’t even the worst.
Alzheimer’s, one of the scariest diseases to any aging human (which is all of us), costs Americans $259 billion a year!
When you do the math, that means just four diseases are raking up a $1 trillion medical bill.
And that’s just the big boys.
Imagine the costs that come with genetic diseases that appear at birth — diseases that parents will pay for throughout their child’s adolescence. Then when that child becomes an adult, they will inherit the costs of a disease they never wanted and couldn’t fight.
But with CRISPR-Cas9, that could end.
In our current war against disease, it’s Big Pharma that rakes in the dough.
In this new gene-editing space, it’s going to be the now-small companies and picks-and-shovels suppliers who propel CRISPR-Cas9 innovations.
The market has already taken notice of some of those companies. One small startup working with CRISPR-Cas9 technology experienced a 130% increase within a few days of trading on the public market. Another company working with the tech is up over 308%.
It’s pretty obvious to see why investors are getting in here.
It’s like getting in on our mega-giant pharmaceutical companies before they became giants.
In a few weeks, Jeff Siegel is going to reveal the names of a few of the companies pioneering this new medical space. Until then, keep an eye on your inbox.
We want you to understand the potential here, so we will be sending out a few more CRISPR-focused articles.
I look forward to talking with you in the future,
Alexandra Perry
@AlexandraPerryC on Twitter
Alexandra Perry is a contributing analyst for Wealth Daily and Energy and Capital. She has multiple years of experience working with startup companies, primarily focusing on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, alternative energy, and biotech. Her take on investing is simple: a new age of investor can make monumental returns by investing in emerging industries and foundational startup ventures.
