NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – BioTime today said that it has reached an agreement with the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to make five clinical-grade human embryonic stem cell lines available to California researchers.
Under terms of the agreement, BioTime will first provide research-grade cell lines. The Alameda, Calif.-based firm also plans within one year to provide GMP-grade cell lines along with certain documentation and complete DNA sequence information.
BioTime would receive royalties, not to exceed 2 percent of net sales, if it signs definitive licensing agreements with users of the cell lines for commercial purposes. Researchers who license the cell lines for research use will not be required to pay royalties, the firm said.
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine is a state agency that provides grants and loans for stem cell research and related facilities.
BioTime President and CEO Michael West said in a statement that "access to cGMP-manufactured cell lines may help CIRM-funded researchers accelerate their work in a wide array of new cell-based therapies and drugs, and more quickly translate the research into improved medical outcomes for people with difficult to treat diseases."