The license agreement between Asahi Kasei and iPS Academia Japan, Inc. for iPS cell technology patented by Kyoto University, as announced on October 17, 2018, has been amended to expand the scope of the license.

The amended agreement grants Asahi Kasei a worldwide license for iPS cell-related patents licensed by iPS Academia Japan in the field of treating osteoarthritis and meniscus injury in addition to traumatic articular cartilage damage, non-exclusive for technology to induce iPS cells, and exclusive for technology to induce chondrification¹ (see table below). Under the terms of the amended agreement, Asahi Kasei obtains exclusive rights to develop, manufacture, and sell products of regenerative medicine derived from iPS cells for the treatment of osteoarthritis and meniscus injury et al. iPS Academia Japan receives a lump sum payment and development milestones as well as royalties proportional to sales amounts and sales milestones.

Scope of the exclusive worldwide license for technology to induce chondrification

Asahi Kasei will continue working to establish manufacturing technology to commercialize products of regenerative medicine derived from iPS cells for articular cartilage damage, traumatic or otherwise, through collaborative research with Prof. Noriyuki Tsumaki of the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application at Kyoto University. By adding regenerative medicine technology for cartilage to its R&D platform, Asahi Kasei intends to further strengthen business in the field of orthopedics.

• ¹Technology to differentiate pluripotent stem cells into cartilage cells in specific culture conditions and develop an extracellular matrix to create cartilage-like tissue (particulate cartilage). Under the amended agreement, in addition to expansion of the scope of disorders to treat, technology to manufacture platy cartilage from iPS cells is added to the scope of the license as well as technology to manufacture particulate cartilage.

About iPS Academia Japan, Inc.

Established in June 2008 in partnership with Kyoto University to widely promote the use of iPS cell-related patents based on the research results by Prof. Shinya Yamanaka and his colleagues, iPS Academia Japan became an approved TLO (technology licensing organization) in 2016. iPS Academia Japan manages intellectual property concerning iPS cells and grants licenses to organizations which pursue the development of therapeutic technology or medicine. For further information, please visit: http://ips-cell.net/e/