UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 15, 2020
CRISPR THERAPEUTICS AG
(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Switzerland | 001-37923 | Not Applicable |
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) |
| | |
Baarerstrasse 14 6300 Zug, Switzerland | | Not Applicable |
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) | | (Zip Code) |
Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: +41 (0)41 561 32 77
Not Applicable
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instructions A.2. below):
☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class | | Trading Symbol(s) | | Name of each exchange on which registered |
Common Shares, nominal value CHF 0.03 | | CRSP | | The NASDAQ Global Market |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
On December 15, 2020, CRISPR Therapeutics AG (the “Company”) received notification that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (the “USPTO”) has initiated an interference proceeding at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (the “PTAB”) between certain pending U.S. patent applications co-owned by the University of California, the University of Vienna and Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier (collectively, the “CVC Group”) and a patent application currently owned by Toolgen, Inc. (“Toolgen”), all of which are related to the single guide format of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology in eukaryotic cells. CRISPR Therapeutics has an exclusive worldwide license in the field of human therapeutics to Dr. Charpentier’s rights as a co-owner of the CVC Group’s portfolio. Specifically, the PTAB has declared Patent Interference No. 106,127 between the CVC Group’s pending U.S, Patent Application Nos. 15/947,680; 15/947,700; 15/947,718; 15/981,807; 15/981,808; 15/981,809; 16/136,159; 16/136,165; 16/136,168; 16/136,175; 16/267,361; 16/276,365; 16/276.368; 16/276,374, and Toolgen’s U.S. Patent Application No. 14/685,510. None of the CVC Group’s issued U.S. patents are involved in this proceeding.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| | | | | | |
| | | | CRISPR THERAPEUTICS AG |
| | | |
Date: December 17, 2020 | | | | By: | | /s/ Samarth Kulkarni |
| | | | | | Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D. |
| | | | | | Chief Executive Officer |
