ES Cell offers hES tech to ReproCELL
07 July 2007 | News
ES Cell offers hES tech to ReproCELL
ES Cell International, the Singapore-based stem cell company, has agreed to transfer its key stem cell technology to Tokyo-based ReproCELL, a Kyoton and Tokyo University spin out company, to kick start some exciting practical uses in drug discovery testing and research efforts.
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The two companies signed an agreement to this effect during the 6th International BioForum and BioExpo Japan. ES Cell, started in Singapore by Dr Alan Colman, one of the co-developer of the world's first cloned sheep, Dolly, will transfer its techniques to make cardiac muscle cell prepared from embryonic stem cells. Dr Colman's company is currently developing a cardiac muscle, called, cardiomyocytes, made from human embryonic stem cells (hES).
"The technology transfer will enable ReproCELL to use the technique in practical applications and lower the cost of pharma R&D and speed up the drug development process," said a Dr Norio Nakatsuji, a key scientist behind ReproCELL and professor at the Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
Dr Colman told BioSpectrum, that his company, set up with majority venture funding from Singapore government's investment companies six years ago, was concentrating on developing the cardiac muscle and hence offered the technique for other practical applications. This would also open a new revenue stream for ES Cell.
ReproCELL will use the cardio muscle technology to develop models to conduct safety and toxicity studies for various pharmaceutical products under development. The Japanese company has successfully developed stem cell lines from rhesus monkey, which have the same blood group as humans.
The Japanese company, set up by Kyoto and Tokyo University researchers, has been actively looking out for business and technology partners in the Asian region. While the regenerative treatment methods under development at stem cell research companies will take many more years to demonstrate their efficacy, the drug testing models will offer new revenue opportunities for such start up in the biotechnology sector.
Dr Colman said his company was trying to speed up the development process of its cell therapy technique and it may be able to do its first clinical trials on human volunteers only in 2009.
Narayanan Suresh recently in Tokyo
