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news.US biotech Osiris Therapeutics has expanded its two-year old licensing agreement with Japanese firm JCR Pharmaceuticals to allow JCR to sell stem cells for use in the field of drug screening and evaluation in Japan.
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Osiris said the technology being offered would allow companies involved in the screening of pharmaceutical compounds the ability to determine certain critical metabolic effects on viable human cells.
“This represents a totally new market for our stem cell technology,” said Dr Randal Mills, president and CEO of Osiris. “The market is readily accessible given the demand for this application and the fact that it does not carry the significant regulatory burden of a drug product.”
The companies entered into the original license agreement in August 2003, allowing JCR the right to commercialize a stem cell drug in Japan. The drug, designed to treat the effects of Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD) in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation to treat leukemia, is still under clinical investigation.
As part of the fulfillment of the original agreement, Osiris has reached a major milestone and has received a corresponding milestone payment. Osiris will receive additional fees as future goals are met, including JCR’s successful launch of the GvHD product.