Beam Therapeutics sues rival YolTech over alleged theft of base-editing data for AATD therapy

Beam Therapeutics, a base editing biotech, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts against YolTech Therapeutics and former employee Zi Jun (Emma) Wang, alleging theft of proprietary information.

The complaint says Wang worked at Beam from March 2021 to the end of January 2022 and, while employed, secretly founded YolTech in July 2021 to develop a base editing treatment for alpha‑1 antitrypsin deficiency, the same indication targeted by Beam’s candidate BEAM‑302.

Beam claims Wang accessed internal files beyond her role, including after hours, and used that knowledge to shape YolTech’s program, creating a direct competitor to BEAM‑302.

The lawsuit, reported by Bloomberg Law, seeks unspecified remedies and highlights growing competition in the base editing space.