Cytel, Japan Tobacco, Marukin Shoyu Co. Ltd. deal

CYTL entered into enzyme technology supply agreements with the Japanese companies to develop improvements to CYTL's Sugar Nucleotide Cycling (SNC) carbohydrate synthesis technology, for large-scale production. In particular, CYTL will focus on sialyl lactose, its human breast milk carbohydrate under development.

CYTL will evaluate, under a three year option period, Japan Tobacco's enzyme technology to produce (beta)-galactoside (alpha)2,6-sialytransferase, a bacterial enzyme, to generate sialic acid-containing carbohydrates. If CYTL exercised the option, it would receive an exclusive worldwide license to the enzyme technology to produce carbohydrate products. Japan Tobacco would retain rights to the technology for its own use. ...