Bayer applied for stem cell patent ‘before Kyoto University’

Bayer applied for a patent for a stem cell technique three months before Kyoto University, it has been reported.

The German chemical company submitted a patent application in Japan in June 2007, according to information from the patent office, reported by Kyodo. The patent was for a technique to produce induced pluripotent stem cells (or iPS cells) from human cells.

Around three months later, a Japanese team – led by Professor Shinya Yamanaka from Kyoto University – announced it had successfully generated iPS cells from human cells. It had used one of several techniques which had been submitted for approval by the patent office by Bayer.

The Japanese government’s policy to promote iPS cell research may be affected if patent rights are given to Bayer, the news source said.

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