Origin Agritech Acquires Rights To New Seed Gene
18 September 2009 Beijing, China-based Origin Agritech Ltd., a leading hybrid seed developer, has acquired the worldwide rights from the dual patent-holders, the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Sichuan Biotech Engineering, Ltd., for a new seed gene for corn, soybean, rice, cotton and canola plants that is highly resistant to glyphosate, reports Market Watch. This glyphosate-tolerance gene, demonstrated to be extremely effective in both laboratory and field environments, is entirely new to the consumer markets in that it has never been commercialized, reports Reuters, and is protected by patents granted separately by China and US.
Origin, which develops genetically-modified corn, rice and canola seeds for farmers in China and Southeast Asia, acquired exclusive rights to sell and develop the gene, which is patented in the US and China, for the life of those patents. It will also hold licensing rights for other companies using the patented technology to sell and develop corn, soybean, rice, cotton and canola products that contain these traits and with application of patent technology worldwide in the territory within China and outside of China. Origin will also receive the rights to improve and further develop the glyphosate-tolerant gene. Additionally, no change of control in the patent will have impact on the validity of this agreement.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The patents were granted in 2007 and have a life of 7 years in the US and 8.5 years in China, not including extensions for modifications of the technology, an Origin spokesman said.
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