Who Owns the Right to Rewrite DNA? | Ep. 641

Defining the Future of DNA

Hello Avatar! Welcome back for another week of biotech analysis. Today is Sunday, which means this is our Building Biotech newsletter that is focused on discussing biopharma strategy topics. In today’s newsletter, we’ll dive into one of the most overlooked but essential forces shaping the future of gene editing - intellectual property. As new technologies like prime editing, gene writing platforms, and AI-designed editors emerge, the race to own the rights to rewrite DNA is heating up. From billion-dollar biotech therapies and failed startups to China's patent surge and the EU’s shifting regulations, we break down how legal battles, global competition, and scientific breakthroughs are converging in the most complex and consequential IP landscape biotech has ever seen.

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Introduction

Gene editing’s IP arms race just got messier, and global.

First came CRISPR. Then Prime. Then PASTE.

Now, biotech companies aren’t only editing DNA, they’re writing entirely new genetic sequences into our cells. The science is staggering. But behind the scenes? A brutal war over patents, freedom to operate, and who owns the tools to change human biology.

Add in the collapse of a high-profile startup, and China aggressively entering the gene writing game, and you’ve got an IP mess even patent lawyers are struggling to navigate.

The goals of today’s newsletter are twofold. First, we’ll walk through the history that brought us here. Second, we’ll explore what comes next, not just in gene editing, but in a new global landscape where China has stepped onto the biotech stage as a serious player. Until now, China's rise in biotech has felt like a shock. Looking ahead, a more integrated model will start to emerge. The biotech companies of tomorrow will look different, and navigating IP complexity will be a defining part of this new shape.

Here’s what’s going on and why it matters.

🔓 The CRISPR Patent Battle That Started It All