Japanese centre licenses Vivalis technology

Kaketsuken, Japan's Chemo-Sero Therapeutic Research Institute, has signed two commercial licences giving it access to Vivalis's EB66 technology for the production of vaccines. The deal covers both the human and veterinary fields, including Vaccinia virus-based recombinant and live/inactivated vaccines for human use. The French firm's EB66 duck embryonic stem cell-derived line can be used to replace traditional egg-based methods, with benefits including good genetic stability and easy scale-up, Vivalis says. Although detailed financial terms were not disclosed, the company will receive up front, milestone and sales royalty payments as part of the tie-up. Kaketsuken is run as an independent foundation but has strong links to government-run programmes.