Dublin, Ireland and Cheshire, United Kingdom
26 February 2025

• European Patent Office grants new CRISPR/Cas9 patent (EP 4 289 948) to CVC, with broad claims covering guide RNAs and their combination with Cas9.
• Patent strengthens CVC’s leading position in European CRISPR IP landscape, providing security to over 150 ERS Genomics licensees.

ERS Genomics (‘ERS’), which was established to provide broad access to the foundational CRISPR/Cas9 intellectual property developed by Prof. Emmanuelle Charpentier announced today that the European Patent Office (‘EPO’) has published its decision to grant patent number EP 4 289 948. The divisional patent includes broad independent claims covering single guide RNAs, modified DNA-targeting RNAs and the combination guide RNAs with Cas9. Prof. Charpentier, along with The Regents of the University of California and the University of Vienna (collectively known as CVC), co-owns the patent.

John E Milad, CEO of ERS Genomics, said: “The EPO’s decision to grant EP 4 289 948 with broad claims reinforces CVC’s leadership position in CRISPR IP in Europe and validates our strategic decision to self-revoke two legacy CRISPR/Cas9 patents. This decision provides our 150+ licensees with greater confidence in their rights, while maintaining CVC’s established patent leadership in Europe.”

“We also look forward to the forthcoming decision on CRISPR patent Interference in the US. Regardless of the outcome, we will continue to hold foundational and essential patents that give our licensees protection and allow them to operate with confidence in the field of CRISPR/Cas9. Today’s approval by the EPO only further strengthens our position.”

Website: http://www.ersgenomics.com/

Published: February 26, 2025