They are currently engaged in a patent dispute with the Broad Institute on the use of CRISPR on eukaryotic cells and so it was believed that they would not win

They are currently engaged in a patent dispute with the Broad Institute on the use of CRISPR on eukaryotic cells and so it was believed that they would not win the Nobel until the dispute was resolved. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/09/latest-round-crispr-patent-battle-has-apparent-victor-fight-continues https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/09/latest-round-crispr-...