Promega Licenses Accelr8's Microarray Surface Chemistry
Accelr8 Technology said this week that it may license its OptiChem surface chemistry to Promega for use in microarraying slides.
According to documentation filed with the SEC this week, Promega will evaluate Accelr8's technology under a feasibility testing agreement before it agrees to distribute the slides to third parties. The agreement, set to expire in Sept. 2006, calls for Promega to pay Accelr8 $49,000 for the initial evaluation period, which, if successful, will result in an official licensing agreement. Any enhancements developed during the testing period will be owned by Accelr8. Inventions developed afterwards will be jointly owned by Accelr8 and Promega.
The OptiChem coatings are thin organic films that provide selective biomolecule binding with very low non-specific adsorption, according to the company.
Galapagos Inks Supply Deal with Serono
Galapagos said this week that its BioFocus services division has signed an agreement to provide Serono with biologically directed library compounds from its SoftFocus collection throughout 2005 and 2006.
The compounds will be used in Serono's drug-discovery programs.
Galapagos said it will receive technology access fees for library compounds, plus a fee-for-service component for medicinal chemistry services. Additional terms were not disclosed.
Isis Receives $7 Million from Drug Royalty Under Macugen Royalty Rights Deal
Isis Pharmaceuticals said this week that it has received $7 million from Drug Royalty USA as partial payment for a portion of Isis' royalty rights in Eyetech's age-related macular degeneration drug Macugen.
According to Isis, it sold a portion of the royalty rights to DRC in 2004 for $24 million, to be paid over three years. Isis is entitled to the royalties on Macugen after licensing to Eyetech in 2001 specific patents related to the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of the drug.
Correction: RNAi News last week incorrectly indicated that Leland Foster is CEO of Fisher Scientific. Foster is actually the CEO of Fisher Scientific's biosciences group.