EMD Millipore, the Life Science division of Merck, and iPS Academia Japan, Inc. (AJ), an affiliate of Kyoto University, have signed a global licensing agreement for AJ’s induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell patent portfolio. The non-exclusive agreement provides EMD Millipore the opportunity to continue to develop and ultimately commercialize iPS cells for research applications.

Under the terms of agreement, EMD Millipore will continue to offer its STEMCCA reprogramming kits, which provide a highly efficient, reproducible method for creating iPS cells. The iPS cell patent portfolio is a result of work by Professor Shinya Yamanaka, MD, PhD, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application at Kyoto University, Japan. Terms of the agreement are not disclosed.

“We are extremely honored to collaborate with AJ on furthering research in the area iPS cell technology,” said John Sweeney, Head, Bioscience Business Unit, EMD Millipore.“To collaborate with the founder of iPS cell discovery provides the ideal opportunity for EMD Millipore to build upon our current product offering of the STEMCCA reprogramming kits, as well as further advance our research and discovery in the area of stem cell technology, and to provide our customers with the tools necessary in this important, breakthrough area of stem cell research.”

“AJ is pleased to grant a non-exclusive license and build a relationship with EMD Millipore. Since EMD Millipore has close relationship with both academic community and commercial community, we believe that EMD Millipore’s business will contribute to boost research and development for practical application of iPS cell technology,” said Shosaku Murayama, president and Chief Executive Officer of iPS Academia Japan, Inc.

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, discovered by Dr Shinya Yamanaka, are adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell-like state by being forced to express genes and factors important for maintaining the defining properties of embryonic stem cells. Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells have potential to further various aspects of stem cell research, from the establishment of patient-specific stem cell populations to disease models.

EMD Millipore’s STEMCCA kit is designed for researchers to obtain and work with induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Utilizing the STEMCCA kit, scientists are able to generate human and mouse iPS cells using a single, excisable polycistroniclentiviral vector that delivers all four reprogramming factors discovered by Dr Yamanaka.

iPS Academia Japan, Inc. (AJ) is an affiliate of Kyoto University, and its main role is, among other activities, to manage and utilize the patents and other intellectual properties held/controlled by Kyoto University and other universities in the field of iPSC technologies so that the research results contribute to health and welfare worldwide.

EMD Millipore offers a broad range of innovative, performance products, services and business relationships that enable our customers’ success in research, development and production of biotech and pharmaceutical drug therapies.