August 30, 2019
EXCITING NEWS!
We are very pleased to announce that Front Range Biosciences signed a deal acquiring Steep Hill‘s R&D team and in-licensing IP on cannabis genomics. Led by former president of Steep Hill, Dr. Reggie Gaudino, the eleven-person genomics team brings nearly four years of data and intellectual property on cannabis genetics to FRB, expanding its existing IP portfolio and patent filings.
Through this agreement, FRB will pool its resources together with Steep Hill’s genomics team to accelerate FRB’s marker-assisted breeding program, develop new traits and varieties, and provide continued innovation to the cannabis and hemp industry. In addition, FRB will also collaborate with Steep Hill on the development of improved genomics-based tests for commercial cannabis, benefitting the industry by providing more reliable standards and certifications.
This acquisition is a major leap forward for our R&D program and an important collaborative in-licensing agreement. As a result, we look forward to strengthening the viability of the cannabis industry, especially regarding the impact this will have on our product offerings to the market and the plant breeding market overall.
Prior to his role at Steep Hill, Dr. Gaudino served as a genetics researcher with 18 years of intellectual property experience in patent writing, management, and prosecution in fields as diverse as software and telecommunications to biotechnology and molecular genetics. Dr. Gaudino has also served as a patent agent at Sequenom, Inc., managed IP-based acquisitions for the Vortice Research Group, worked at four law firms focused on biotechnology, and has served as an advisor to multiple portfolio investment companies. Dr. Gaudino received his B.S. in Molecular Biology and Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics from the State University of New York at Buffalo and conducted four years of post-doctoral research at Washington University in St. Louis.
Joining Dr. Gaudino will be his entire team, which includes eleven scientists and researchers with backgrounds across the fields of bioinformatics, analytical chemistry, molecular biology, biochemistry and data science. Dr. Gaudino’s team is one of the top 3 cannabis genomics groups, globally. This team brings five years of experience in cannabis genomics, molecular breeding and a deep understanding of the underlying chemistry and biology of the cannabis plant. Dr. Gaudino will remain as the Head of the Scientific Advisory Board for Steep Hill and lead the collaboration between the two companies.
The coverage for this acquisition has been shared in a variety of news outlets, including:
Read the full press release here.
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