---
title: "In 2020, Orgenesis's Italian branch became a partner in a gene therapy research center in Padua, Italy."
claim_id: "530ef743-e7c4-4892-b924-d535660c49b7"
validity: 35
model: accounts/fireworks/models/deepseek-v4p1-flash
---

# Claim: In 2020, Orgenesis's Italian branch became a partner in a gene therapy research center in Padua, Italy.

Verdict: 35%
Model: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
Checked on: 08/10/2026

## Verdict explanation

**Reasoning:**

- The Padua-based research center in question is the National Center for Gene Therapy and Drugs based on RNA Technology (Centro Nazionale di Ricerca "Sviluppo di terapia genica e farmaci con tecnologia a RNA"), a foundation created by the University of Padua[^1][^2].
- Orgenesis's Italian branch (Orgenesis Italy Srl) **is** indeed listed among the 49 partner entities of that center, and Orgenesis is described as one of the project's founders[^3][^1].
- **However, the date is wrong.** The foundation was established by the University of Padua on **8 June 2022**, and its governing bodies were elected on 30 September 2022 — not 2020[^1][^2].
- Orgenesis Italy SRL was itself **incorporated in 2022** (and the parent's SEC filing states Orgenesis "has joined an Italian consortium" at that time), so the Italian branch did not exist in 2020[^4][^5].
- The "2020" appears to stem from a different event: Heiko von der Leyen became Medical Director of Orgenesis in December 2020[^6][^7]. He was only appointed to the Padua center's supervisory board in September 2022[^2][^8][^1].
- So the underlying relationship (Orgenesis's Italian branch is a partner in the Padua gene-therapy center) is accurate, but the stated year — the central element of the claim — is incorrect by two years.

**Overall validity**: 35%

[^1]:
    [Parliamentary question | Potential conflict of interests involving the President of the Commission | E-003717/2022 | European Parliament](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2022-003717_EN.html)

[^2]:
    [Padova, il marito di Ursula von der Leyen nel centro di ricerca sui farmaci guidato dall’Ateneo - CorrieredelVeneto.it](https://corrieredelveneto.corriere.it/padova/cronaca/22_ottobre_18/padova-marito-ursula-von-der-leyen-centro-ricerca-farmaci-guidato-dall-ateneo-e423d124-4e47-11ed-9d7d-160ead659065.shtml)

[^3]:
    [Centro nazionale per lo sviluppo di terapia genica e farmaci con tecnologia a RNA | Università di Padova](https://www.unipd.it/rna-genetherapy)

[^4]:
    [description of business](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1460602/000149315222031425/R7.htm)

[^5]:
    [Orgenesis Inc. - 10K - Annual Report - March 22, 2023](https://fintel.io/doc/sec-orgenesis-inc-1460602-10k-2023-march-22-19438-2301)

[^6]:
    [Heiko von der Leyen - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heiko_von_der_Leyen)

[^7]:
    [Heiko Echter von der Leyen（Medical Director of Orgenesis Biotech Company, USA）\_Baiduwiki](https://baike.baidu.com/en/item/Heiko%20Echter%20von%20der%20Leyen/3504470)

[^8]:
    [Ursula von der Leyen Has a Transparency Problem - https://eutoday.net](https://eutoday.net/ursula-von-der-leyen-has-a-transparency-problem)

## Sources using this claim (1)

- [Ursula von der Leyen approved €320 million for a centre where her husband sits on the board. She f…](/source/instagram:post:DcTgo41k9rr) — 25% — 1 views