CRISPR gene editing wins Japan patent case

Ruling for US lab has potential to raise costs for drug and food development

20200225N Gene editing

A technician works with genome samples at a lab of the Chinese biotech company Sinogene, which specializes in dog cloning. © Reuters

JUNYA HISANAGA and TAKURO KUSASHIO, Nikkei staff writers

TOKYO -- A Japanese court ruled Tuesday in favor of a patent application by a U.S. institute on the breakthrough CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technique, in a win for a technology embroiled in intellectual property disputes worldwide.

If the ruling is upheld, drugmakers and other companies would be required to pay license fees to use the technique for commercial purposes.

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