Merck has been granted its first CRISPR technology patent by the Australian Patent Office.

On Wednesday, June 14, Merck issued a press release explaining that the office had granted it patent rights over the use of CRISPR in a genomic integration method for eukaryotic cells.

The patent covers chromosomal integration (or cutting of the chromosomal sequence of eukaryotic cells, such as mammalian and plant cells, and insertion of an external or donor DNA sequence into those cells using CRISPR).

Merck has patent filings for its insertion CRISPR method in Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, India, Israel, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and the US.

Udit Batra, member of the Merck executive board and CEO of life science, said: Merck has developed an incredible tool to give scientists the ability to find new treatments and cures for conditions for which there are limited options, including cancer, rare diseases and chronic conditions, such as diabetes.

In May this year, Merck revealed that it had developed an alternative CRISPR genome-editing method called proxy-CRISPR.

According to Merck, the proxy-CRISPR technique can cut previously unreachable cell locations, making CRISPR more efficient, flexible and specific, and giving researchers more experimental options.

Several patent applications have been filed on this technology.

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Merck granted its first CRISPR patent in Australia - Life Sciences Intellectual Property Review (subscription)

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