Corning buys rights to MultiCell lines

LINCOLN – MultiCell Technologies Inc. recently announced an exclusive global license and purchasing agreement with Corning Inc. for the company’s Fa2N-4 adult human liver cell lines. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Besides paying MultiCell a license fee for the cell lines, Corning agreed to purchase inventory and equipment related to the cell-line business, hire certain MultiCell scientific personnel and pay for access to the company’s labs during the cell lines’ transfer.
“We are pleased to partner with Corning in the drug discovery assay tools, ADME/Tox and biomarker segments,” said Jerry Newmin, chairman of the MultiCell board of directors.
The Lincoln-based company will retain the right to use the Fa2N-4 cells in applications not related to drug discovery or ADME/Tox assays. MultiCell also will retain the right to use those and other cell lines in further developing its Sybiol liver-assisting device, in producing therapeutic proteins, and in drug-target identification and other internal drug-development programs. The company will retain all its existing licensees. ?