Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Grants Exclusive License to Cellular Dynamics International for Development of a Cellular Therapy for Cardiac Muscles

May 24, 2013 – The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has granted Cellular Dynamics International (CDI) exclusive license rights  to commercially develop cardiomyocyte progenitors for in vivo cell therapy and regenerative medicine applications. These cells are capable of further differentiation into the multiple cell types of the heart, including cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, and vascular smooth muscle cells, and thus could be used as a potential therapeutic for damaged heart tissue.

The original agreement announced in May 2009 was of an exclusive CDI license to a key patent portfolio surrounding the differentiation of stem cells into human cardiovascular progenitor cells as tools for research use only. Under the new agreement, CDI now can make use of, distribute, sublicense and sell cellular products that employ the licensed technology for therapeutic use.

The licensed technology is based on research first conducted by Gordon Keller, PhD, a former Professor of Gene and Cell Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai who is now Director and Senior Scientist, McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University Health Network Division of Stem Cell and Developmental Biology, Ontario Cancer Institute, and, two former Postdoctoral Fellows at Mount Sinai, Steve Kattman, PhD, now Group Leader at CDI, and Lei Yang, PhD, now Assistant Professor, Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh.

The new agreement was negotiated through Blue Mountain Technologies, a program of Mount Sinai Innovation Partners (Mount Sinai IP), as part of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, that encourages the commercialization of novel research reagents, diagnostics, and therapeutics based on research conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

“It has been a pleasure working with CDI through this process,” said Felipe Araujo, PhD, Director of Blue Mountain Technologies. “CDI is at the forefront of emerging stem cell technologies and we are confident this agreement will have a lasting effect on cardiac cell products.”

Cellular Dynamics develops, manufactures and sells human cells based on iPS cell technology and currently offers iCell® Cardiomyocytes, iCell Neurons (brain cells), iCell Endothelial Cells (blood vessel cells) and iCell Hepatocytes (liver cells). CDI has also launched MyCell® Products, a custom cell product manufactured using iPS cell technology to make stem cells or terminal cells from any individual, including those with diseases of interest to pharmaceutical companies and academic scientists.

Bob Palay, CEO of Cellular Dynamics International, said, “We’re pleased to extend our cardiac progenitor patent license with Mount Sinai to include potential therapeutic uses. The IP space surrounding stem cell technology is complex, and from CDI’s inception, our strategy has been designed to afford our customers the freedom to operate for all the products we sell. CDI now has more than 700 licensed or owned patents and patent applications.”

About Mount Sinai Innovation Partners

Mount Sinai Innovation Partners (Mount Sinai IP), as part of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, facilitates the transfer of discovery from the laboratory to the marketplace, acting as the interface with commercial entities.

Mount Sinai IP is responsible for the full spectrum of commercialization activities required to bring the Icahn School of Medicine’s inventions to life. These activities include evaluating, patenting, marketing, and licensing new technologies, while also negotiating agreements for sponsored research, material transfer, and confidentiality. Blue Mountain Technologies is an IP program to enhance distribution of, and product development based on, Mount Sinai’s growing portfolio of novel reagents, diagnostics, and therapeutics. For more information on Mount Sinai IP, visit: https://www.mountsinai.org/innovation

About Cellular Dynamics International, Inc.

Cellular Dynamics International, Inc. (CDI) is a leading developer of stem cell technologies for in vitro drug development, in vivo cellular therapeutics, and stem cell banking. CDI harnesses its unique manufacturing technology to produce differentiated tissue cells from any individual’s stem cell line in industrial quality, quantity and purity. CDI is accelerating the adoption of pluripotent stem cell technology, adapting its methods to fit into standard clinical practice by the creation of individual stem cell lines from a standard blood draw. CDI was founded in 2004 by Dr. James Thomson, a pioneer in human pluripotent stem cell research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. CDI’s facilities are located in Madison, Wisconsin. See www.cellulardynamics.com.

The Mount Sinai Medical Center

The Mount Sinai Medical Center encompasses both The Mount Sinai Hospital and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Established in 1968, the Icahn School of Medicine is one of the leading medical schools in the United States.  The Medical School is noted for innovation in education, biomedical research, clinical care delivery, and local and global community service.  It has more than 3,400 faculty in 32 departments and 14 research institutes, and ranks among the top 20 medical schools both in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding and by U.S. News & World Report.

The Mount Sinai Hospital, founded in 1852, is a 1,171-bed tertiary- and quaternary-care teaching facility and one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most-respected voluntary hospitals. In 2011, U.S. News & World Report ranked The Mount Sinai Hospital 16th on its elite Honor Roll of the nation’s top hospitals based on reputation, safety, and other patient-care factors. Of the top 20 hospitals in the United States, Mount Sinai is one of 12 integrated academic medical centers whose medical school ranks among the top 20 in NIH funding and U.S. News & World Report and whose hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll.  Nearly 60,000 people were treated at Mount Sinai as inpatients last year, and approximately 560,000 outpatient visits took place.

For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org
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