Germany’s Merck has signed a license agreement with Evotec, granting the Hamburg-based internationally active biotechnology group access to its CRISPR genome-editing technology.

Evotec will use the license to create edited cell lines for its commercial and internal research purposes, in particular precisely engineered assays to determine the biology and toxicity for potential drug candidates during the drug development cycle.

This new license agreement reinforces past collaborations between the two German companies. In November 2016 for example, they signed a series of agreements under which Evotec may provide screening services using Merck’s collection of genetic reagents including CRISPR and shRNA libraries.

Combining access to Merck’s genome editing libraries with Evotec’s screening expertise offers a faster path to explore and identify new drug targets, the Darmstadt-headquartered chemicals, pharmaceuticals and life sciences group said.

Merck holds 20 CRISPR-related patents worldwide in methods and composition, including the fundamental technology of CRISPR Cas9 for genetic integration in mammalian cells.

The group has been at the forefront of innovation in gene editing for 15 years and continues to work with industry and academia to solve complex problems using its patented CRISPR technology, both ethically and responsibly, said Udit Batra, member of the Merck Executive Board and CEO, Life Science.

To provide guidance for research in which its businesses are involved, including the use of genome editing, Merck has established an independent, external Bioethics Advisory Panel as well as defining a clear operational position considering scientific and societal issues to inform promising therapeutic approaches for use in research and applications.

Craig Johnstone, chief operating officer of Evotec, said the Hamburg-based company’s vision and passion for innovation includes using CRISPR technology to test and improve the efficacy of the new drugs for patients suffering from underserved conditions worldwide.