New Early Access Express License provides streamlined, affordable access to foundational CRISPR/Cas9 intellectual property to early-stage innovators
DUBLIN and CHESHIRE, England, Feb. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ERS Genomics Limited ('ERS'), the CRISPR licensing company, today announced the launch of its Early Access Express License, a new licensing option designed to support early stage innovators at pre-seed and pre-revenue stage seeking access to the foundational CRISPR/Cas9 patent portfolio at the earliest stages of development.
The Early Access Express License extends ERS Genomics' commitment to democratising access to CRISPR/Cas9, providing a simple and accessible pathway for newly-formed companies, incubator teams, and academic spinouts conducting internal research using CRISPR/Cas9. The licence grants non-exclusive rights to use CRISPR/Cas9 for internal research and development only, enabling eligible teams to establish a solid IP foundation while advancing scientific work and early development milestones.
The Early Access Express License offers a substantially reduced annual fee for pre-seed, pre-revenue innovators, and can run for up to three years. As a licensee begins to scale-through meaningful revenue generation or seed financing-the licence automatically transitions to ERS' Standard Express License or, where appropriate, to a commercial licence.
To qualify for the Early Access Express License, applicants must confirm their pre-seed and pre-revenue status and provide core registration and verification materials. ERS Genomics may also request supporting evidence demonstrating scientific intent and readiness to adopt CRISPR/Cas9 responsibly, such as CRISPR-related research activity, academic or institutional collaborations, grant funding, patent filings, conference participation, a verified company presence, or a detailed research proposal describing the intended use of the technology.
John E. Milad, CEO, ERS Genomics, said, "Some of the most groundbreaking scientific companies begin long before they generate revenue or secure institutional funding. The Early Access Express License gives early-stage innovators a fast, practical way to secure licensed access to CRISPR/Cas9 IP from the very start, without unnecessary barriers. This is a natural extension of our mission to provide simple, responsible access to foundational CRISPR/Cas9 IP, so early-stage teams can innovate with clarity, confidence, and compliance."
The Early Access Express License complements ERS Genomics' existing licensing programmes, which provide global access to the foundational CRISPR/Cas9 patent portfolio across all applications outside direct human therapeutics. Together, these offerings are intended to support innovators from initial concept through to commercial development, while maintaining clarity, compliance, and confidence around IP use.
About ERS Genomics
ERS Genomics provides access to the foundational CRISPR/Cas9 intellectual property estate (the 'CVC Patents') co-owned by Nobel Laureate Professor Emmanuelle Charpentier, who, together with Dr Jennifer Doudna, was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology. The CVC portfolio represents the most comprehensive and widely granted collection of foundational CRISPR/Cas9 patents globally, more than 130 issued patents, including over 50 in the US, encompassing over 1,400 claims across all cell types.
Derived from a bacterial immune defence system, CRISPR/Cas9 is a precise, efficient tool for editing DNA in living organisms that has transformed research across genetics, biotechnology, and molecular biology.
ERS Genomics offers non-exclusive licenses to the CVC Patents for research and commercial applications outside the direct use of CRISPR as a human therapeutic. These licenses provide essential freedom to operate for organizations working with CRISPR/Cas9 across a wide range of fields, including: life sciences research tools, reagents, and services, discovery of novel therapeutic targets, development of engineered cell lines and animal models for drug screening, bioproduction of antibodies and therapeutic proteins, animal and agricultural biotechnology, synthetic biology, including production of enzymes, food ingredients, and bio-based chemicals.
Current ERS licensees include GSK, Merck, Bayer, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Corteva, Danaher, PerkinElmer, Charles River Laboratories, and Cargill. For more information, visit www.ersgenomics.com.
Media contacts:
ERS Genomics: 5654 & Company
(ERSGenomics@5654.co.uk)
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