Vista signs licensing agreements with Harvard University and Nanosys

Under terms of the agreements, Vista has secured the exclusive, worldwide rights for the use of nanowires for the detection of biomarkers associated with organ or tissue damage, and any form of treatment or therapeutics-associated adverse response. In consideration, Harvard and Nanosys have received an equity position in Vista, as well as upfront license and downstream royalty payments.

Nanosys said that while Harvard and the company each own portfolios of intellectual property (IP) around multiple aspects of nanotechnology including basic nanowire compositions, nanowire synthesis and the use of nanowires and other nanostructures for many applications, Vista will focus its attention on the use of nanowire-based field effect transistors as highly sensitive sensors of biomolecules.

Vista plans to manufacture and sell nanowires that are formatted to provide real-time, continuous measurement of blood and urinary biomarkers of organ and tissue injury.

Spencer Farr, founder and CEO of Vista, said: Just as electrocardiogram instruments allow physicians to continuously monitor a patient’s heart function, the broad nanowire IP portfolio acquired in these agreements will allow Vista to commercialize and market its NanoBioSensor platform that enables physicians, clinicians and pharmaceutical researchers to continuously monitor, on a real-time basis, a wide variety of blood and urinary biomarkers that will be transformational to patient care.