ThromboGenics NV has announced that it has completed a global license agreement with Millipore Corporation under which ThromboGenics will exclusively license its technology for production of the proprietary stem cell culture medium marketed by Millipore as RESGRO(x).
The technology for producing RESGRO was originally developed by the ThromboGenics drug discovery team as part of its successful efforts to identify several of its drug discovery candidates currently in clinical trials.
Under this agreement, ThromboGenics will license to Millipore its patents, data and know-how for the manufacturing, development and evaluation of RESGRO. Millipore will assume responsibility for the exclusive production and sales of the medium, as well as all future costs. ThromboGenics will receive upfront and milestone payments, and will earn double digit royalties on Millipore's sales.
ThromboGenics is outlicensing this important stem cell research platform as part of its strategic plan to focus resources on the company's clinical pipeline. Revenue derived from this license will be used toward the acceleration and expansion of clinical programs for several promising drug candidates, including microplasmin for treatment of back of the eye diseases and certain vascular disorders, and TB-402, a novel anti-coagulant therapy for prevention of thrombosis in a number of important disease settings.
Millipore (through its Chemicon(R) division) began marketing RESGRO in 2005, with manufacturing provided in-house by ThromboGenics. As a result of today's new agreement, Millipore will continue to make RESGRO available to the worldwide stem cell research community through its sales team. Millipore is recognized as a global leader in providing reagents, kits and cell culture supplements to the academic, pharmaceutical and biotechnology markets.