Lonza Group Ltd.
Lonza Group Ltd.
07/30/2013 | Press release | Archived content
Lonza and BioWa Sign License Agreements with Pfizer, Inc. Allowing Use of Their POTELLIGENT ® CHOK1SV Cell Line for Therapeutic Antibody Research and Development
Basel Switzerland/ La Jolla CA, 30 July 2013 - BioWa, Inc. and Lonza today announced that they have entered into research agreements with Pfizer Inc. allowing the use of the POTELLIGENT® CHOK1SV Cell Line in the research and development of multiple proprietary antibodies in Pfizer's pipeline.
POTELLIGENT® CHOK1SV is a host cell line for manufacturing recombinant antibodies that combines the power of BioWa's engineered glycosylation POTELLIGENT® Technology with the advantages of Lonza's industry leading GS Gene Expression System™. The GS System™ includes Lonza's pre-eminent host cell line, CHOK1SV.
'We are pleased that the core value of POTELLIGENT® Technology has been recognized by a global pharmaceutical company such as Pfizer, and are excited to work together with Pfizer on their innovative antibody research pipelines.' said Yasunori Yamaguchi, PhD, President and CEO of BioWa.
The POTELLIGENT® CHOK1SV Cell Line retains the desirable features of a high-producing cell line (robust, high-yielding, scalable), with the advantage of a proven bioprocess platform for the CHOK1SV Cell Line. Antibodies produced by this cell line exhibit enhanced antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and can exert potent cytotoxic effects even when their target antigen is low. In addition, they work in whole blood and retain all other desirable features of common antibodies.
'The GS System and the CHOK1SV Cell Line continue to be a gold standard for therapeutic antibody development. We are proud to be able to support Pfizer with this technology for their ongoing development portfolio.' said Karen Fallen, VP Head of Licensing, Lonza Custom Development Services.
The POTELLIGENT® CHOK1SV Cell Line is available to Lonza customers under a license agreement, as part of the cell line construction service offering. For more information on accessing the POTELLIGENT® CHOK1SV Technology, please contact [email protected].
About the GS Gene Expression System™
The GS Gene Expression System™, which is owned and licensed by Lonza, is used for the production of therapeutic recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies. Over 100 biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and over 85 academic laboratories worldwide are successfully using the GS Gene Expression System™ which has established itself as the industry standard. This system is characterized by its speed and ease of use. In addition, the higher yielding cell lines provide cost-efficient production of therapeutic proteins.
About Lonza
Lonza is one of the world's leading suppliers to the pharmaceutical, healthcare and life science industries. Products and services span its customers' needs from research to final product manufacture. It is the global leader in the production and support of chemical and biological active pharmaceutical ingredients. Biopharmaceuticals are one of the key growth drivers of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Lonza has strong capabilities in large and small molecules, peptides, amino acids and niche bioproducts which play an important role in the development of novel medicines and healthcare products. Lonza is also the world leader in microbial control providing innovative, chemistry-based and related solutions to destroy or to selectively inhibit the growth of harmful microorganisms. Its activities encompass the areas of water treatment, personal care, health and hygiene, industrial preservation, materials protection, and wood treatment. In addition, Lonza is a leader in cell-based research, endotoxin detection and cell therapy manufacturing. Furthermore, the company is a leading provider of value chemical and biotech ingredients to the nutrition and agro markets.
Lonza is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and secondary listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited ('SGX-ST'). In 2012, the company had sales of CHF 3.925 billion. Further information can be found at www.lonza.com.
About POTELLIGENT® Technology
POTELLIGENT® Technology improves potency and efficacy of antibody therapeutics by enhancing Antibody-Dependent-Cellular Cytotoxicity ('ADCC'), one of the major mechanisms of action for antibody therapeutics. POTELLIGENT® Technology involves the reduction of the amount of fucose in the carbohydrate structure of an antibody using a proprietary fucosyl transferase-knockout CHO cell line as a production cell. Research shows that POTELLIGENT® Technology dramatically enhances ADCC activity of an antibody in vitro, and significantly increases potency and efficacy of the antibody in vivo. A number of POTELLIGENT® antibodies are being investigated in human clinical trials. On May 29 2012, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Co. Ltd. ('Kyowa Hakko Kirin')launched POTELIGEO®. This milestone event represents a critical validation point for the POTELLIGENT® Technology.
About BioWa
BioWa is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyowa Hakko Kirin,aleadingbiopharmaceutical companyin Japan, and is the exclusive worldwide licensor of the AccretaMab® platform. The AccretaMab® platform consists of POTELLIGENT® and COMPLEGENT® Technologies, creating a superior antibody molecule with enhanced ADCC and Complement-Dependent Cytotoxicity ('CDC') activities. BioWa is offering POTELLIGENT® and COMPLEGENT® Technologies to partners under a license to maximize the value of these technologies. Together with Kyowa Hakko Kirin, BioWa is committed to promote ADCC/CDC enhanced monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics to fight cancer and other life-threatening and debilitating diseases.
For more information about BioWa, visit our web site at www.biowa.com.
POTELIGEO®, POTELLIGENT®, COMPLEGENT®, and AccretaMab® are the trademarks of Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. All rights are reserved
Lonza Contact Information
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Lonza Group Ltd |
Lonza Group Ltd |
Lonza Group Ltd |
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Media Relations |
VP Licensing and Technology |
Investor Relations |
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Melanie Disa |
Custom Development Services |
Dirk Oehlers |
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Tel +1 201 316 9413 |
Karen Fallen |
Tel +41 61 316 8540 |
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Fax +1 201 696 3533 |
Tel +44 1753 716585 |
Fax +41 61 316 9540 |
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BioWa Contact Information
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BioWa Inc. |
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President and CEO |
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Yasunori Yamaguchi, Ph.D. |
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Tel +1 858 952 7200 |
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Email [email protected] |