Commitments and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	8. Commitments and Contingencies Intellectual Property Agreements Patent Assignment Agreement In November 2014, the Company entered into a patent assignment agreement with Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, Dr. Ines Fonfara, and Vienna (collectively, the “Assignors”), pursuant to which the Company was assigned all rights, title and interest in and to certain patent rights claimed in the U.S. Patent Application No.61/905,835. As a result, the Assignors are entitled to receive certain low single digit clinical milestone payments and low single digit royalties based on annual net sales of licensed products and licensed services by the Company, its affiliates and sublicensees. Charpentier License Agreements In April 2014, the Company entered into certain technology license agreements with Dr. Charpentier pursuant to which the Company licensed certain intellectual property rights under joint ownership from Dr. Charpentier to develop and commercialize products for the treatment or prevention of human diseases. In connection therewith, Dr. Charpentier is entitled to receive nominal clinical milestone payments, low single digit percentage of sublicensing payments received under any sublicense agreement with a third party, and low single-digit percentage royalties based on annual net sales of licensed products and services by the Company and its affiliates and sublicensees. During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company paid an immaterial amount of fees to Dr. Charpentier, which were recorded as research and development expense. Research, Manufacturing and License Agreements The Company has engaged several research institutions and companies to identify new delivery strategies and applications of the gene-editing technology. The Company is also a party to a number of research license agreements which require significant upfront payments and may require future royalty payments and potential milestone payments from time to time. In addition, the Company is also a party to intellectual property agreements, which require maintenance and milestone payments from time to time. Further, the Company is a party to a number of manufacturing agreements that require upfront payments for the future performance of services. In association with these agreements, on a product by product basis, the counterparties are eligible to receive up to low eight-digit potential payments upon specified research, development and regulatory milestones. In addition, on a product by product basis, the counterparties are eligible to receive potential commercial milestone payments based on specified annual sales thresholds. The potential payments are low-single digit percentages of the specified annual sales thresholds. The counterparties are also eligible to receive low single-digit royalties on future net sales. Under certain circumstances and if certain contingent future events occur, Vertex is eligible to receive up to $395.0 million in potential specified research, development, regulatory and commercial milestones and tiered single-digit royalties on future net sales. Refer to Note 9 for further discussion on the Company’s arrangements with Vertex. Other Matters On December 15, 2016, the Company entered into a Consent to Assignments, Licensing and Common Ownership and Invention Management Agreement (the “Invention Management Agreement”) with UC, Vienna, Dr. Charpentier, Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. Caribou Biosciences, Inc., ERS Genomics Ltd. and one of the Company’s subsidiaries. Under the Invention Management Agreement, the Company is obligated to share costs related to patent maintenance, defense and prosecution. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company incurred $4.5 million, $2.9 million and $2.4 million, respectively, in shared costs. The Company recorded accrued legal costs from the cost sharing of $2.5 million and $1.5 million as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. The Company is unable to predict the outcome of these matters and is unable to make a meaningful estimate of the amount or range of loss, if any, that could result from an unfavorable outcome. Litigation In the ordinary course of business, the Company is from time to time involved in lawsuits, investigations, proceedings and threats of litigation related to, among other things, the Company’s intellectual property estate (including certain in-licensed intellectual property), commercial arrangements and other matters. Such proceedings may include quasi-litigation, inter partes administrative proceedings in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the European Patent Office involving the Company’s intellectual property estate including certain in-licensed intellectual property. The outcome of any of the foregoing, regardless of the merits, is inherently uncertain. In addition, litigation and related matters are costly and may divert the attention of Company’s management and other resources that would otherwise be engaged in other activities. If the Company is unable to prevail in any such proceedings, the Company’s business, results of operations, liquidity and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

8. Commitments and Contingencies

Intellectual Property Agreements

Patent Assignment Agreement

In November 2014, the Company entered into a patent assignment agreement with Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, Dr. Ines Fonfara, and Vienna (collectively, the “Assignors”), pursuant to which the Company was assigned all rights, title and interest in and to certain patent rights claimed in the U.S. Patent Application No.61/905,835. As a result, the Assignors are entitled to receive certain low single digit clinical milestone payments and low single digit royalties based on annual net sales of licensed products and licensed services by the Company, its affiliates and sublicensees.

Charpentier License Agreements

In April 2014, the Company entered into certain technology license agreements with Dr. Charpentier pursuant to which the Company licensed certain intellectual property rights under joint ownership from Dr. Charpentier to develop and commercialize products for the treatment or prevention of human diseases. In connection therewith, Dr. Charpentier is entitled to receive nominal clinical milestone payments, low single digit percentage of sublicensing payments received under any sublicense agreement with a third party, and low single-digit percentage royalties based on annual net sales of licensed products and services by the Company and its affiliates and sublicensees.

During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company paid an immaterial amount of fees to Dr. Charpentier, which were recorded as research and development expense.

Research, Manufacturing and License Agreements

The Company has engaged several research institutions and companies to identify new delivery strategies and applications of the gene-editing technology. The Company is also a party to a number of research license agreements which require significant upfront payments and may require future royalty payments and potential milestone payments from time to time. In addition, the Company is also a party to intellectual property agreements, which require maintenance and milestone payments from time to time. Further, the Company is a party to a number of manufacturing agreements that require upfront payments for the future performance of services.

In association with these agreements, on a product by product basis, the counterparties are eligible to receive up to low eight-digit potential payments upon specified research, development and regulatory milestones. In addition, on a product by product basis, the counterparties are eligible to receive potential commercial milestone payments based on specified annual sales thresholds. The potential payments are low-single digit percentages of the specified annual sales thresholds. The counterparties are also eligible to receive low single-digit royalties on future net sales.

Under certain circumstances and if certain contingent future events occur, Vertex is eligible to receive up to $395.0 million in potential specified research, development, regulatory and commercial milestones and tiered single-digit royalties on future net sales. Refer to Note 9 for further discussion on the Company’s arrangements with Vertex.

Other Matters

On December 15, 2016, the Company entered into a Consent to Assignments, Licensing and Common Ownership and Invention Management Agreement (the “Invention Management Agreement”) with UC, Vienna, Dr. Charpentier, Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. Caribou Biosciences, Inc., ERS Genomics Ltd. and one of the Company’s subsidiaries. Under the Invention Management Agreement, the Company is obligated to share costs related to patent maintenance, defense and prosecution. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company incurred $4.5 million, $2.9 million and $2.4 million, respectively, in shared costs. The Company recorded accrued legal costs from the cost sharing of $2.5 million and $1.5 million as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. The Company is unable to predict the outcome of these matters and is unable to make a meaningful estimate of the amount or range of loss, if any, that could result from an unfavorable outcome.

Litigation

In the ordinary course of business, the Company is from time to time involved in lawsuits, investigations, proceedings and threats of litigation related to, among other things, the Company’s intellectual property estate (including certain in-licensed intellectual property), commercial arrangements and other matters. Such proceedings may include quasi-litigation, inter partes administrative proceedings in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the European Patent Office involving the Company’s intellectual property estate including certain in-licensed intellectual property. The outcome of any of the foregoing, regardless of the merits, is inherently uncertain. In addition, litigation and related matters are costly and may divert the attention of Company’s management and other resources that would otherwise be engaged in other activities. If the Company is unable to prevail in any such proceedings, the Company’s business, results of operations, liquidity and financial condition could be adversely affected.