Licensing agreement for manufacturing iPS cells using Sendai virus vector

Kusatsu/Shiga, Japan – September 29, 2015 – Takara Bio Inc. announced  that on September 29, it signed an agreement with ID Pharma Co., Ltd. (“ID Pharma”) concerning licensing of ID Pharma’s technology for manufacturing iPS cells using Sendai virus. With this agreement, Takara Bio acquires non-exclusive rights to worldwide application for contracted manufacturing of research iPS cells using ID Pharma’s Sendai virus vector-based iPS cells induction kit “CytoTune®-iPS” based on Sendai virus vector, and development, manufacturing and marketing of research iPS cells and differentiated cells manufactured with use of the kit.

 

In order to manufacture iPS cells, genes (Yamanaka factors) discovered by Prof. Yamanaka et al (Kyoto University) have to be transduced. Several techniques have been invented for gene transduction, including techniques using retroviral vectors or plasmid vectors. Among these techniques, a Sendai virus vector-based techniques is employed for manufacturing of iPS cells because it has less risk of tumorgenesity because no gene is inserted into chromosome of the cells.

 

Takara Bio group has already signed patent licensing agreement with iPS Academia Japan Inc. regarding manufacturing of iPS cells, and is engaging in manufacturing of iPS cells and iPS-derived differentiated cells.

Following licensing agreement with ID Pharma, Takara Bio will actively expand scope of businesses and provide high added value products and services.

 

Going forward, Takara Bio will expand its service of manufacturing iPS cells using Sendai virus vector, and promote development of new products of iPS cells and differentiated cells based on this technique.

 

Takara Bio group is committed to provision of products and services in rapidly growing stem cells fields, development of products and services that meet a wide range of customer’s needs, and improvement of its business results.