Of all the places in the world where you thought a cure for Parkinson’s disease might be found, the remote sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands might not have been your first choice but that’s exactly where biotech company Living Cell Technologies (ASX: LCT) will obtain brain tissue from pigs for their clinical trials.
Given the highly specific biology of the tissue to be sourced from the Auckland Island pigs, the porcine choroid plexus tissue will not come cheap.
Under the terms of their agreement, LCT will pay an annual fee of NZ $250,000 per annum to NZeno for the ongoing maintenance of the dedicated pig facility and herd. A milestone payment of NZ $500,000 is then payable subject to TGA approval to commence the trials and a further NZ $500,000 upon TGA approval for commercialisation.
Should all these milestones be met and NTCELL® reaches commercialisation using NZeno’s porcine tissue, annual royalty payments up to NZ $2,500,000 would be payable.
Click here to read the full article written by Alfred Chan from Emerald Financial.
https://thesentiment.com.au/why-pigs-on-this-remote-auckland-island-may-be-the-key-to-treating-parkinsons-disease/
