Insights

Boston – February 17, 2026: Crowell & Moring represented GelMEDIX, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on regenerative therapies for vision restoration, in the closing of its $13 million seed financing. The round was led by Safar Partners, with participation from HTL Biotechnology, Beacon Angels, TiE Boston Angels, Boston Harbor Angels, and additional investors. Alongside the financing, Crowell also advised on GelMEDIX’s first strategic collaboration with a global pharmaceutical company. Under the terms of the agreement, GelMEDIX will provide its hydrogel scaffold technology, which the partner will use in combination with several of its own cell lines to develop stem cell derived cell therapies.

A decision in May from the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals has extended the long-standing and well-publicized dispute over inventorship of use of CRISPR-Cas9 technology in eukaryotic cells. When final resolution comes, it will have important implications for users of this technology. Companies currently licensing CRISPR-Cas9 from one of the two groups claiming ownership rights to the fundamental patents covering this technology and those considering licenses or investment in users of the technology should review existing or proposed licenses to better prepare for the potential outcomes of the dispute.