New CRISPR Patent Hearing Continues High-Stakes Legal Battle

Director Eldora L. Ellison, Ph.D., was quoted in the article “New CRISPR Patent Hearing Continues High-Stakes Legal Battle,” published by Science. From the article:

“Another showdown in the seemingly endless patent battle over who invented CRISPR, the genome editor that has revolutionized biology, took place today at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This latest hearing saw charges that one party improperly obtained early CRISPR information, as well as a detailed scientific discussion of a crucial question: Who invented the ‘guide RNA’ molecule that allows the genome editor to work in eukaryotic cells?

On that question, ‘we have never received a satisfactory answer from the patent office,’ says Jacob Sherkow, a patent attorney with the University of Illinois College of Law and a longtime observer of the fight. Potentially huge financial rewards go to the victor, as multiple companies have invested many millions into turning CRISPR into medical therapies.”