Low-risk, low-value: iPS cells - Commercializing the Stem Cell Sciences - page 175

for use in research under non-exclusive licence a number of induced
pluripotent cell based products based on Yamanaka's original work
( http://ips-cell.net ). iPS Academia Japan's not-for-profit strategy is
based on providing access to a potentially revolutionary development
in biomedicine, with licence fees generating income for investors and
royalties for the universities that are part of the collaboration ( http://
ips-cell.net ). A US patent was awarded in August 2011 to Shinya
Yamanaka and iPS Academia Japan for the iPSC derivation method
first discovered by Yamanaka ('Seven Days', 2011). iPS Academia
Japan are proposing to ask for a licensing fee in ongoing collaborations
for the use of this patented technology, thus not restricting the patent
to their exclusive use ('Seven Days', 2011).
iPS Academia Japan established a collaboration in February 2011
with iPierian (iPierian Press Release, http://www.ipierian.com ,
February 2011). The deal between the two companies sees reciprocal
access granted to patents held by both companies (iPierian Press
Release, http://www.ipierian.com , February 2011). Through this
collaboration a 'patent estate' has been created, with iPierian now
having a non-exclusive licence to use the iPS Academia Japan patents
(iPierian Press Release, http://www.ipierian.com , February 2011).
Under this agreement, iPierian assigned patents it had previously
gained to iPS Academia (iPierian Press Release, http://www.ipierian.
com , 2011). The complexity of the patenting landscape and competition
over who had patented what first raised concerns about a patent
thicket emerging, producing a barrier for competitors entering the
field (Eisenstein, 2010). The agreement between iPS Academia Japan
and iPierian, seen in the context of this potential thicket, is thus one
means of negotiating this barrier to commercialization.
Fate Therapeutics has a collaborative agreement in place with BD
Biosciences, a division of the global medical technology company
BD (Becton, Dickinson & Co.). This collaboration will see BD
Biosciences commercialize proprietary technology developed by Fate
Therapeutics (Press Release, http://www.fatetherapuetics.com ,
October 2010). This is a three-year agreement targeted towards the
drug discovery and development market, with BD Biosciences
effectively sponsoring the product development phase (Press Release,
http://www.fatetherapuetics.com , October 2010). During the

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