Takara Bio Inc. world leader in biotechnology R&D, announces that it has entered into a License and Supply Agreement with BioNTech Cell & Gene Therapies GmbH ("BioNTech"), a BioNTech SE company, Germany, under which Takara Bio grants BioNTech a commercial license to use applicable patents relating to RetroNectin®. Under this agreement, Takara Bio provides BioNTech with reliable supplies of RetroNectin®.

The patented technologies licensed to BioNTech are based on Takara Bio’s proprietary RetroNectin® method, which includes a technology enabling highly efficient gene transduction to cells by retrovirus/lentivirus vector and expansion of T-cells with high efficiency. With such advantages, RetroNectin® method is one of the mostly used standard protocols utilized for "Engineered T-cell Therapy", which includes promising TCR and CAR gene therapies recently raising higher expectations.

Under the agreement signed with Takara Bio, BioNTech is allowed to use RetroNectin® for production of its cell & gene therapy products, therapies in which a patient’s T cells are genetically engineered to express a CAR for the treatment of multiple solid tumors.

Takara Bio is promoting supply of RetroNectin® to clinical development of Engineered T-cell Therapy actively pursued worldwide in recent years, and expects higher sales growth in the future.

Takara Bio offers a host of life science research solutions, from enzymes and GMP-grade reagents to contracted cell and gene therapy manufacturing services and is the developer of the RetroNectin reagent, a world standard in gene therapy protocols.