PPL ties up gene technology

PPL ties up gene technology

PPL Therapeutics, the biotechnology company behind Dolly the sheep (pictured left), has signed a deal giving it exclusive world-wide rights to the technology used in its gene implanting technology. The agreement with the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh should enable PPL to produce a wider range of therapeutic products using its nuclear transfer technology. The technique involves introducing copies of human genes into animals to produce proteins in their milk. One of the big potential markets is the transgenic production of human serum albumin, a protein used to aid blood transfusions, said to be worth several billion dollars a year.