Takara Bio Inc. announces that it has entered into a License Agreement with non-profit/charity organization, Fondazione Telethon ETS (“Telethon”) (https://www.telethon.it/en), Italy, under which Takara Bio grants Telethon a commercial license to use RetroNectin®. Under this agreement, Takara Bio provides Telethon with reliable supplies of RetroNectin®.

The technologies licensed to Telethon are based on Takara Bio’s proprietary RetroNectin® method, which includes a technology enabling highly efficient gene transduction to cells by retrovirus/lentivirus vector and expansion of T-cells with high efficiency. With such advantages, RetroNectin® method is one of the mostly used standard protocols utilized for “Engineered Gene Therapy”, which includes promising TCR and CAR gene therapies recently raising higher expectations, as well as “Hematopoietic stem cell Gene Therapy”.  

Under the agreement signed with Takara Bio, Telethon is allowed to use RetroNectin® for production of its cell & gene therapy products, one of which is Strimvelis, a rare disease treatment targeting Adenosine deaminase deficiency.

Takara Bio is promoting supply of RetroNectin® to clinical development of Engineered gene and cell Therapy actively pursued worldwide in recent years, and expects higher sales growth in the future.

About Takara Bio Inc.

Takara Bio Inc., a world leader in biotechnology research and development, offers a host of life science research solutions, from enzymes and GMP-grade reagents to contracted cell and gene therapy manufacturing services and is the developer of the RetroNectin reagent, a world standard in gene therapy protocols. Takara Bio is committed to preventing disease and improving the quality of life for all people through the use of biotechnology.