University of California Granted New CRISPR-Cas9 U.S. Patent, Further Expanding Patent Portfolio for Genome Editing

BERKELEY, Calif., April 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued U.S. Patent Number 10,266,850 covering systems and methods for using single molecule guide RNAs that, when combined with the Cas9 protein, create efficient and effective tools for the targeting and editing of genes. The patent is co-owned by the University of California ("UC"), the University of Vienna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, Ph.D. The application for this patent, U.S. patent application number 13/842,859, was previously involved in a terminated interference proceeding involving certain patents and a patent application owned by the Broad Institute, Harvard University, and MIT. Today's issuance expands UC's wide-ranging CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing patent portfolio with a fourth patent in the United States.

The new patent issued today encompasses CRISPR-Cas9-related methods and systems for modifying a target DNA molecule in any setting, both in vitro and within live cells, using one or more single guide RNAs, and is in addition to previously issued U.S. Patent Nos. 10,000,772 (issued June 19, 2018); 10,113,167 (issued October 30, 2018); and 10,227,611 (issued March 12, 2019). In addition, the USPTO has issued notices of allowance to UC for three other CRISPR-Cas9 patent applications, which are expected to be granted in the coming months, which would bring UC's total to seven U.S. patents in its comprehensive CRISPR-Cas9 portfolio.

"We are very pleased at the progress we're making with the issuance of this patent and will continue to promote the intellectual property of the Doudna-Charpentier team's CRISPR-Cas9 invention," said Eldora L. Ellison, Ph.D., lead patent strategist on CRISPR matters for UC and a Director at Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox. "Today's patent further builds on the numerous CRISPR-Cas9 applications in UC's portfolio and will support the university's commitment to utilizing the genome editing technology for the benefit of our society."

Groundbreaking research by the Doudna-Charpentier team, which included Jennifer Doudna and Martin Jinek at the University of California Berkeley; Emmanuelle Charpentier at Umea University; and Krzystof Chylinski at the University of Vienna, led to the CRISPR-Cas9 DNA-editing technology. This invention and its applications have been extensively recognized in the international scientific community through numerous awards, including the Breakthrough Prize in Life Science, Japan Prize, Gruber Prize in Genetics, BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award, and Kavli Prize in Nanoscience.

In addition to these U.S. patents, numerous patent offices worldwide have issued patents for the work of the Doudna-Charpentier team for CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in all types of cells, including the European Patent Office (representing more than 30 countries), the United Kingdom, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and other countries.

UC is committed to developing and applying its patented technologies, including CRISPR-Cas9, for the betterment of humankind, and allows nonprofit institutions, including academic institutions, to use the technology for non-commercial educational and research purposes.

UC has also encouraged widespread commercialization of the CRISPR-Cas9 technology through its exclusive license with Caribou Biosciences, Inc. of Berkeley, California, which has sublicensed the technology to many companies internationally, including Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. for certain human therapeutic applications. Additionally, Dr. Charpentier has licensed the technology to CRISPR Therapeutics AG and ERS Genomics Limited.

SOURCE University of California Office of the President