Sangamo enters $3 million licensing agreement with Pfizer

RICHMOND, Calif. A biotech that develops zinc finger DNA-binding proteins announced a licensing agreement with Pfizer Monday worth $3 million.

Sangamo BioSciences will provide Pfizer with a worldwide, non-exclusive license for the use of certain ZFP nuclease reagents to eliminate the glutamine synthetase gene in Chinese hamster ovary cell lines and for the use of the modified cells for clinical and commercial production of therapeutic proteins. Under the agreement, Pfizer will give Sangamo an upfront payment of $3 million for a fully paid license.

“Our colleagues at Pfizer have made fundamental contributions to establish the breadth and utility of [ZFP nucleases] in cell line engineering,” Sangamo president and CEO Edward Lanphier said.