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ERS Genomics Licenses CRISPR IP to Nippon Gene

NEW YORK — ERS Genomics said on Wednesday that it has signed an agreement to nonexclusively license its CRISPR-Cas9 patent portfolio to the Japanese biotechnology company Nippon Gene.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Dublin-based ERS was founded to provide access to CRISPR-Cas9 intellectual property held by Emmanuelle Charpentier. The IP is shared among her, Jennifer Doudna and the University of California, and the University of Vienna. The IP is separate from genome editing patents held by the Broad Institute.

Nippon Gene manufactures genetic engineering research reagents and diagnostic reagents for applications in humans, animals, and plants. Its portfolio includes enzymes, buffers, and reagents for LAMP and PCR kits, and it also provides plant disease diagnostic kits, allergen detection kits, as well as pregnancy and ovulation tests, and other assays. The license from ERS will allow Nippon Gene to develop, manufacture, and sell research reagents using CRISPR-Cas9 technology.

"CRISPR-Cas9 technology has revolutionized life science research, becoming an important technology applied across a variety of fields. The license from ERS Genomics, granting us access to the foundational CRISPR-Cas9 patents, will enable us to supply a wide range of research reagents in the field of gene editing," Nippon Gene President Shinji Kanayama said in a statement.

ERS granted a license to its portfolio to cell model developer GenOway earlier this month.

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