IIT-K comes up with tech on gene therapy

KANPUR: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has licensed a technology to Reliance Life Sciences Private Limited that has the potential to revolutionize the field of gene therapy, especially for many genetic eye diseases.
'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.
The technology licensing agreement was signed between IIT-Kanpur and Reliance Life Sciences Private Limited at a MoU ceremony in the presence of Professor Abhay Karandikar (Director, IIT Kanpur), KV Subramaniam (Licensee & President of Reliance Life Sciences). Developed by prof Jayandharan Giridhara Rao and 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.