Patenting CRISPR-Cas9 therapeutic applications: Legal Framework for Human welfare- based applications in USA and EU. : Applicability of patent laws in modern biology and their limits on CRISPR- Cas9 genome engineering.

Abstract: CRISPR-Cas9 based genome engineering has emerged as a revolutionary biological technique in the past decade with multifarious therapeutic and biotechnological applications for human welfare. It is anticipated that the global CRISPR-Cas9 market will exceed a revenue of USD 3 billion by 2024. In the past few years, product and process oriented CRISPR-Cas9 applications have led to extensive patenting efforts, resulting in some major patent disputes. Some of CRISPR-Cas9 based applications for human welfare are directly linked to modifications within the human cells as well as their possible misuse on the ethical grounds, there is a fundamental divide in the United States and the European Union about various patenting legal provisions. In the proposed study, I will categorically investigate the legal frameworks on the patentability of various human welfare related CRISPR-Cas9 applications in the United States and the European Union as well as their socio-economic impact.