New licence provides CHUM access to the ERS CRISPR/Cas9 patent portfolio.
DUBLIN and MONTREAL, Oct. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — ERS Genomics Limited (‘ERS’) is pleased to announce a new license agreement with the CHUM Research Centre (‘(CRCHUM),’). This is a non-exclusive licensing agreement granting the CRCHUM research rights to the ERS CRISPR/Cas9 patent portfolio.
Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, founder of ERS Genomics, received the 2020 Nobel Prize for the discovery of CRISPR/Cas9. As a direct outcome, the ERS patent portfolio is the definitive collection of proprietary rights to this gene editing technology.
The CHUM Research Centre is the largest research centre in the field of biomedical sciences and health care at the University of Montreal. It is one of the largest and most modern in Canada.
“With the acquisition of this new license, the CHUM Research Centre has now both the technological capacity and the legal ability to carry out research projects with commercial partners,” explained Vincent Poitout, Director of Research at the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) and Scientific director of the CRCHUM.
Eric Rhodes, CEO, ERS Genomics was equally enthusiastic about the new agreement: ‘Canada’s role in the biotechnology landscape has been gaining prominence on a global scale. Particularly, the bio-economy is experiencing rapid growth with Montreal standing out as a noteworthy hub. Aligning perfectly with our corporate vision, this licensing agreement with CRCHUM in Canada signifies a crucial step towards expanding the use of CRISPR/Cas9 globally.’
Financial details of the agreement are not being disclosed.
About the CRCHUM
The CHUM Research Centre (CRCHUM) is one of North America’s leading hospital research centres. It strives to improve the health of adults through a continuum of research spanning disciplines such as basic science, clinical research and population health. More than 2,150 people work at the CRCHUM, including nearly 500 researchers and nearly 650 students and postdoctoral fellows.
For additional information, please visit https://www.chumontreal.qc.ca/crchum