DuPont Pioneer, Broad Institute enable democratic CRISPR licensing
“The promise of CRISPR-Cas9 technology in the hands of many will result in a wide array of benefits for the global food supply ranging from higher and more stable yields of grains, fruits and vegetables for farmers; more nutritious, healthier and affordable foods for consumers; and, improved sustainability of agricultural systems for society,” said Neal Gutterson, vice president of Research & Development at DuPont Pioneer. “It is profoundly important to ensure that this technology is made widely available for agriculture. By partnering with the Broad Institute, together we can maximize access to CRISPR-Cas9 around the world for the greater good.”
“When DuPont Pioneer initially approached us to secure a license for commercial research, we both saw a unique opportunity to provide much broader access to the technology for agriculture,” said Eric Lander, president and founding director of the Broad Institute. “We applaud DuPont Pioneer for its commitment to advancing research and commercialization to accelerate progress in agriculture.”
The complex CRISPR licensing landscape includes patents and patent applications from multiple parties. Entities often desire access to comprehensive IP, to ensure their ability to apply the scientific tools as widely as possible. To enable such access, Pioneer and Broad Institute have agreed on a joint non-exclusive licensing framework for agricultural use that (i) continues to provide non-exclusive access to IP from Broad Institute co-owned with its collaborators (including Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York Genome Center, New York University, The Rockefeller University, and the University of Iowa), and (ii) provides non-exclusive access to foundational IP from Pioneer and to IP from the licenses that Pioneer gained access through Caribou Biosciences, ERS Genomics and Vilnius University. License limitations exclude certain CRISPR technology applications, including for gene drive or tobacco products for human use.
Broad and Pioneer continue to retain the right to grant independent, non-exclusive licenses for the CRISPR-Cas9 IP that each institution controls to any interested entity.
To inquire about a license, commercial users should email Pioneer at openinnovation@pioneer.com or visit the Broad website or contact partnering@broadinstitute.org. Academic and nonprofit researchers do not require a license to use the technology for research.
For more information:
crisprcas.pioneer.com
www.broadinstitute.org/node/123021