Bass, Berry & Sims attorney Janelle Waack was quoted in an article in Science News discussing developments in CRISPR gene-editing technology as part of the publication’s look back on the year in science. Researchers in the United States began testing the gene editor in human clinical trials during 2019, marking a huge step toward the hope that CRISPR innovations can treat or cure many genetic diseases.
Janelle also commented on the dramatically rising CRISPR patent filings in the areas of healthcare, medical research, agriculture and chemical processing. “People are investing in the technology and think it has great commercial value,” she said. The initial trials will have a significant impact on whether CRISPR becomes an accepted therapy, as well as how the U.S. government will opt to regulate the technology. “Everybody is paying careful attention,” Janelle commented.
The full article, “The First U.S. Trials in People Put CRISPR to the Test in 2019,” was published by Science News on December 16, 2019, and is available online. Janelle’s quotes were republished in the article, “The First Clinical Trials of CRISPR Gene Editing Have Shown Promising Results,” published by News Medical on January 7, 2020 and is also available online.