Promega will use MilliporeSigma's CRISPR genome-editing technology to create research products and services, including those for drug development.

"Under this licensing agreement, Promega plans to use our intellectual property to develop CRISPR-edited cell lines, which can play a major role in determining drug efficacy, toxicity and overall development," said Udit Batra, CEO, MilliporeSigma.

"This license further expands the potential of CRISPR, and, more importantly, gives scientists a new view into natural cell activity," said Bill Linton, president and CEO, Promega. "This is quite a meaningful contribution to many areas of applied research in such fields as cancer and neuroscience."

Promega Corporation is a leader in providing innovative solutions and technical support to the life sciences industry. The company's 4,000 products enable scientists worldwide to advance their knowledge in genomics, proteomics, cellular analysis, drug discovery and human identification. Promega is building a portfolio of CRISPR knock-in cell lines in addition to custom requests to meet the demands of customers studying protein dynamics.

MilliporeSigma intends to continue growing its CRISPR intellectual property portfolio with technologies such as paired Cas9 nickases, which reduce off-target effects, and proxy-CRISPR, which offers researchers more experimental options to accelerate drug development and access to new therapies.

MilliporeSigma holds 22 CRISPR-related patents worldwide covering both methods and compositions, including the fundamental use of CRISPR-Cas9 for genetic integration in mammalian cells.