Merck said Tuesday that it got patents in South Korea and Israel for gene editing technology that integrates external DNA sequence into the chromosome of eukaryotic cells.

The Korean Intellectual Property Office and Israel Patent Office have granted approval for Merck’s patent applications for its CRISPR technology to be used in a genomic integration method for eukaryotic cells.

Merck’s patent relates to cutting a chromosomal sequence of eukaryotic cells, such as mammalian and plant cells, and inserting an external or donor DNA sequence into them using CRISPR, which is a genome-editing technology. CRISPR has broad applications that include identifying genes associated with cancer and reversing mutations that cause blindness, according to the company.

With Merck’s technology, scientists can execute gene therapy and create disease models by removing a mutation that causes disease and insert a useful or functional sequence in its place. The method also allows for scientists to insert transgenes that label endogenous proteins for visual tracking within cells.

The company will license the patents for use in basic science research, agricultural, biotech and therapeutic areas, it said.

"These decisions mark the fifth and sixth patent allowances for our unique CRISPR technology to find new treatments for some of the toughest medical conditions today, including cancer, hereditary and rare diseases," said Udit Batra, CEO of Life Science and member of Merck’s Executive Board.

The company has patent filings for the insertion CRISPR method in five other countries, including the U.S. and China. Merck currently holds patents in Singapore, Australia, Europe and Canada.

"These foundational integration patents recognize our significant contributions to the genome-editing field and reinforce our commitment to evolving CRISPR technology globally," Batra added.