CRISPR-Cas9 foundational patents: two blocs, contested ownership

The chokepoint: any commercial CRISPR-Cas9 application must license foundational patents held by two rival blocs, the Broad Institute (MIT-Harvard) and UC Berkeley/CVC (Doudna, Charpentier). In 2022 the PTAB awarded Broad priority for use in eukaryotic cells; in May 2025 the Federal Circuit (CAFC) remanded that decision for reconsideration, leaving ownership uncertain. Redundancy is growing (Cas12, base and prime editing partly bypass Cas9), but the legal uncertainty over ownership remains a chokepoint for licensees (Editas, Intellia, CRISPR Therapeutics); status as of 2025.