The CRISPR sector reported sharply divergent news within days: one firm announced positive early in‑human cholesterol‑lowering data while another disclosed a patient death tied to an ongoing in‑vivo genome‑editing trial that prompted regulatory scrutiny. The sequence exposed both therapeutic promise and acute safety risk in gene‑editing platforms. Investors and regulators are parsing whether the fatality reflects a platform issue or patient comorbidities; companies and trial sponsors said they are cooperating with investigators. The episode will likely affect trial monitoring, informed‑consent language, and sponsor communications as in‑vivo genome editing advances toward larger studies.