IIT Kanpur & Reliance Life Sciences Join Forces To Revolutionize Gene Therapy For Hereditary Eye Diseases

Kanpur, March 10, 2023: In a historic moment, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has licensed a pioneering technology to Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. that has the potential to revolutionize the field of gene therapy, especially for many genetic eye diseases.

There are many inherited disorders caused by faulty genes. ‘Gene Therapy’ is a way to replace the faulty gene with a functional version of the gene to treat such disorders. This marks the first time that a gene therapy-related technology has been developed and transferred from an academic institution to a company in India. The gene therapy technology from IIT Kanpur will be further developed as an Indigenous Product by Reliance Life Sciences.

MoU Exchange Ceremony

The technology licensing agreement was formally signed today between IIT Kanpur and Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. at an MoU exchange ceremony in the presence of several dignitaries, including Prof. Abhay Karandikar (Director, IIT Kanpur), and Mr. K. V. Subramaniam (Licensee & President of Reliance Life Sciences). Others present on the occasion included Prof. Ankush Sharma (PIC, Innovation & Incubation), Prof. Amitabha Bandyopadhyay (Head, BSBE Department), Prof. Jayandharan Giridhara Rao (Dept. of BSBE) of IIT Kanpur), and Dr. Venkat Ramana (CSO) and Mr. Praveen Sharma (General Manager) of Reliance Life Sciences.

Developed by Prof. Jayandharan Giridhara Rao and Mr. Shubham Maurya from the Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering (BSBE), IIT Kanpur, the patented technology modifies the gene of an organism to treat a hereditary disorder. In this case, the site refers to a specific location on an Adeno-associated virus (AAV) (viral vector) used for gene therapy.

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The technology modifies this location to optimize its ability to deliver genes to the affected cells and improve its effectiveness. The technology has the ability to improve gene therapy for many
hereditary diseases, especially inherited eye diseases. It has shown significant promise in correcting vision impairment in animal models of blindness.

Gene therapy is one of the most potent applications of recombinant DNA technology wherein pieces of DNA from multiple sources are combined to efficiently deliver the healthy copy of the faulty gene in a manner that production
of protein from the introduced gene is sustained for life. To enable this, the therapeutic DNA molecule is delivered using a virus that can infect human cells.

For successful clinical application, several optimizations of the basic process are needed to be aimed at ensuring the adequate expression of the desired gene.

Statement By Director Of IIT Kanpur

Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director of IIT Kanpur said, “IIT Kanpur is committed to developing impactful technologies in the field of healthcare, and we are delighted to see the licensing of this gene therapy technology to Reliance Life Sciences”.

He further said, “Gene therapy using viral vectors has recently emerged as a potent tool in the field of molecular medicine. We believe that this technology holds great promise for treating a wide range of hereditary eye diseases including Leber congenital amaurosis, an eye disorder that is present from birth; and Retinitis pigmentosa, a disease-causing progressive sustained vision loss”.

“At IIT Kanpur, we foresee several such impactful technologies being developed in the near future for many such genetic disorders and are excited to see the impact that it will have in the coming years. We have recently established the Mehta Family Centre for Engineering in Medicine at IIT Kanpur to pursue such areas of research”, he added.

Statement By President Of Reliance Life Sciences

President of Reliance Life Sciences, Mr. K. V. Subramaniam said,  “We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with IIT Kanpur to further develop this important technology, Reliance Life Sciences is a research-driven, medical biotechnology company and we are thrilled to collaborate take forward this innovative technology to commercialization”.

Reliance Life Sciences is developing several gene therapies to address unmet clinical needs. In addition to gene therapies, Reliance Life Sciences is developing a range of human and animal health vaccines and mRNA products. Gene and cell therapies represent a new and innovative stream of products, aimed to reinforce Reliance Life Sciences’ strong play in biosimilars and pharmaceutical products.

The future of gene therapy is bright and promises to have a positive impact on people’s lives. The licensing of a gene therapy technology by IIT Kanpur to Reliance Life Sciences represents a significant step forward in the field of gene
therapy and demonstrates the commitment of IIT Kanpur to developing innovative solutions to address unmet medical needs.

About IIT Kanpur

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur was established on 2nd November 1959 by an Act of Parliament. The institute has a sprawling campus spread over 1055 acres with a large pool of academic and research resources spanning across 19 departments, 22 centres, and 3 Interdisciplinary programs in engineering, science, design, humanities, and management disciplines with 540 full-time faculty members and approximately 9000 students. In addition to formal undergraduate and postgraduate courses, the institute has been active in research and development in areas of value to both industry and government.