Kyoto University has obtained a research and development patent in the U.S. that covers new drugs incorporating variant cells and tissues made from induced pluripotent stem cells, according to its Center for iPS Cell Research and Application.
The patent given to the university, which also patented a method for creating iPS cells, will cover the use and sale of both cells and tissue produced from such cells, which are artificially derived from an adult cell, the officials said Friday.
The patent will require companies to pay licensing fees to Kyoto University when they sell products derived from iPS cells in the United States. However, as a public institution, the university intends to keep licensing fees low to encourage broader use of the patent, the officials said.
It is the first time Kyoto University has taken out this kind of a patent in the United States, which represents the frontline in pharmaceutical development and regenerative medicine. The university has a similar domestic patent.
The patent, approved March 6, will remain in effect through Dec. 6, 2026. The university said it will try to obtain similar patents in Europe and other regions.