Get ready for round two of the CRISPR patent fight

A federal appeals court is hearing oral arguments today in the stock-moving fight over key CRISPR patents. Here’s what you need to know:

The background: Back in February 2017, the patent office ruled that the Broad Institute’s 2014 patent on editing animal and plant cell genomes with CRISPR-Cas9 didn’t “interfere” with the University of California’s patent application on using CRISPR-Cas9 to edit DNA in a test tube. UC appealed that decision.
The chances: STAT’s Sharon Begley, who will be at the hearing today, asked experts whether they thought UC has a shot. Their take: Persuading the appeals court that the patent board got it wrong will be tough.
The decision: It could be two to three months before the appeals court decides on the case. Check back with STAT later today for an update on how the hearing went.

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