For the past seven years, the Broad Institute and UC Berkeley have contested the patent rights for the CRISPR Cas9 gene-editing technology for eukaryotic cells. It appears that this is now settled pending any appeals by UC Berkley. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has decided in favor of the Broad Institute. Please see: Broad Institute Wins CRISPR Patent Case | Technology Networks for more information on this topic. The USPTO decision has important ramifications for those using CRISPR for drug discovery and for those contracting with companies for CRISPR related services such as cell line engineering.
Companies that have licensed the UC Berkley patents may now need to license the Broad patents or face potential legal challenges. Because CRISPR is an essential gene-editing technology, it is critical that every researcher and their companies mitigate patent license risks and the companies that they work with do also. Otherwise, the legal and financial risks of not doing so could be onerous.
Fortuitously for ABS and our clients, ABS is an authorized as a distributor of Broad CRISPR products and services. This means that if you work with ABS, you are assured that the engineered cell lines that we provide you with have the necessary agreements in place with the Broad Institute.
Beyond any legal or long term financial related issues, you can count on ABS to continue to deliver high quality engineered cell lines. Our services are highly customizable with respect to your choice of cells and types of QC that you require. Please inquire to learn more.
