Beam Therapeutics RBC Capital Markets Conference: Risto-cel BLA Submission on Track for Year-End 2026; BEACON Biomarker Data Set for EHA 2026

Beam Therapeutics management presented at the 2026 RBC Capital Markets Global Healthcare Conference on May 20, 2026, providing an update on the company's base-editing pipeline. Key takeaways: (1) Risto-cel (ribose-cel; base-edited autologous HSC therapy for sickle cell disease): BLA submission to the FDA remains on track for year-end 2026, following publication of the Phase 1/2 BEACON trial data in The New England Journal of Medicine on April 1, 2026. If submitted on schedule and reviewed under the FDA's Priority Review timeline (6 months), US approval could come in H1 2027, positioning risto-cel as a potential second-to-market CRISPR therapy following Casgevy. (2) BEACON updated biomarker data: Beam previously announced (May 12) that updated biomarker data from the BEACON Phase 1/2 trial, further demonstrating risto-cel's ability to restore red blood cell health and function in sickle cell disease, will be presented as an oral presentation at the 2026 European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Meeting (Stockholm, June 11-14). This long-term biomarker data is expected to reinforce the BLA package. (3) Cash & runway: $1.2B in cash and equivalents with runway extended to mid-2029, funding both risto-cel regulatory activities and the AATD (BEAM-302) pivotal trial initiation expected H2 2026. (4) Allogeneic pipeline: CTX340 and CTX460 programs advancing in collaboration with CRISPR Therapeutics. A hedge fund acquired approximately $40M of Beam Therapeutics stock (at ~$27.93/share) in the May 15-18 period, reflecting institutional confidence in the risto-cel BLA timeline.