PULLMAN — Washington State University and Exelixis Plant Sciences, Inc., have entered a commercial licensing agreement covering patent rights and biological materials for use of plant cell cultures in
the production of paclitaxel and other valuable taxane products used in cancer treatments.
Cell culture holds the potential for an environmentally friendly, less capital intensive and more reliable method
of production that can generate large quantities
of paclitaxel and taxane intermediates at costs significantly lower than those
of current tree - harvest methods.