Exelixis signs a non-exclusive license with Cancer Research Ventures, UK

Cancer Research Ventures ("CRV") announced today that it had signed a non-exclusive license with Exelixis, Inc, USA for the rights to two patent families relating to the use of certain transposon-based technologies, which can be used to transfer DNA across the species barrier. The technology was jointly developed by the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam and Crucell, bv, Leiden (formerly IntroGene).

  • 1 July 2002

CRV was pivotal in mediating a mutually acceptable revenue sharing agreement between the two inventing parties and assigned in the intellectual property to act as the exploitation partner on their behalf. CRV ensures that all revenues received from licensing the invention are returned to both parties in a proportion reflecting their contribution to the invention.

Simon Youlton, the project manager responsible for this technology at CRV said that he "was expecting this to be the first non-exclusive license to a technology that will have considerable utility to any company wishing to validate gene targets in various different animal models. It may also prove to be a very versatile system for the construction of gene delivery vehicles for research and possibly gene therapy".

CRV's CEO, Dr. Guy Wood-Gush added that "this validates the international role CRV plays in facilitating the transfer of key technologies for the benefit of future developments in the pharmaceutical industry whilst ensuring the inventors and their respective institutions are adequately rewarded for their efforts".