Issue CRISPR hurdles: therapy cost and evaluation, restrictive EU rules, biosafety and benefit sharing

Summary

The report holds that the reach of the CRISPR transformation depends on overcoming several challenges. In health, the key is making CRISPR-based therapies more affordable and better evaluated for efficacy and safety. In agriculture, regulatory frameworks need adapting, particularly since European rules remain more restrictive than those of other countries. In industrial biotechnology, robust biosafety standards, good governance and benefit-sharing rules are needed to prevent inequality and high-risk uses. These challenges arise as CRISPR applications already spread, from drought-tolerant crops to clinical trials for blood disorders and cancers and edited microbes producing biopolymers. A 2025 report by Spain's National Office for Scientific Advice analysed policy options for a safe and equitable rollout.