DLA Piper has successfully advised Tissue Regenix Goup plc. (Tissue Regenix) on a joint venture agreement with the German Gesellschaft für Transplantationsmedizin gemeinnützige GmbH (GTM-V) to form GBM-V gemeinnützige GmbH ("GBM-V"), a tissue bank based in Rostock, Germany. This is the first joint venture contract for GTM-V with Tissue Regenix, which patented the human ‘dCELL® technology; a technology that can remove DNA from animal and human tissue.
The establishment of the joint venture is an important milestone in the group's overall commercialisation strategy, allowing Tissue Regenix to licence its patented dCELL® technology process for human tissue for the first time in the EU, in anticipation of bringing to market a portfolio of decellularised human tissue treatments subject to regulatory approval. The group also plans to expand this business model into other countries.
Tissue Regenix is a leading medical devices company in the field of regenerative medicine. The company’s patented decellularisation (‘dCELL®) technology removes DNA and other cellular material from animal and human tissue leaving an acellular tissue scaffold which can then be used to repair diseased or worn-out body parts. The potential applications for this process are diverse and address many critical clinical needs such as treating vascular disease, heart valve replacement and knee repair. Tissue Regenix was formed in 2006 when it was spun-out from the University of Leeds. The company commercialises academic research conducted by partners around the World. In November 2012 Tissue Regenix Group plc set up a subsidiary company in the United States - 'Tissue Regenix Wound Care Inc.', as part of its commercialisation strategy for its dCELL® technology platform.
The DLA Piper team was led by partner Dr Kirsten Girnth and client partner Tom Heylen, and included counsel Carlos Robles y Zepf, the associates Niklas Mangels and Kristin Vogt (all Corporate, Frankfurt and London), partner Martin Heinsius (Tax, Frankfurt), counsel Dr Sascha Morgenroth (Employment, Frankfurt), partner Dr Jan Dreyer, the counsel Dr Thilo Streit and Guido Kleve, associate Spela Kastelec (all Lit&Reg, Cologne), partner Dr Burkhard Fuehrmeyer, senior associate Nicolas Dumont (both IPT, Frankfurt), senior associate Victoria Rhodes (Corporate, Leeds), partner Bonella Ramsay and senior associate Ishbel Macpherson (both IPT, London and Edinburgh).
