Lonza and BioWa Sign Licensing Agreement with MedImmune
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BioWa, Inc. and Lonza have announced that they have entered into a licensing agreement with MedImmune, the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca. MedImmune has licensed the companies’ Potelligent® CHOK1SV Cell Line Technology for use in multiple proprietary antibodies in its 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.
Potelligent® Technology is designed to improve the potency and efficacy of therapeutic antibodies by enhancing antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), one of the major mechanisms of therapeutic antibodies.
MedImmune has entered into a previous licensing agreement with BioWa in 2007 for Potelligent® Technology. Today’s agreement incorporates Lonza’s technology to the existing Potelligent® Technology.
“We are very pleased to extend our relationship with MedImmune, a global biologics company who has recognized the core value of Potelligent® Technology for the development of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity enhanced antibodies,” said Yasunori Yamaguchi Ph.D., President and CEO of BioWa.
The Potelligent® CHOK1SV Cell Line retains the 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 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.
“It is a pleasure for us to enter to this agreement with MedImmune and BioWa,” said Karen Fallen, VP Head of Licensing, Lonza Custom Development Services. The combination of Lonza’s well-known GS System™ coupled with Potelligent® CHOK1SV Cell Line provides our customers with a significant advantage in expression technology.”
“The combination of the technologies from BioWa and Lonza will help enhance our ability to produce high quantity potent antibodies for preclinical and clinical development programs, which is a key driver in making better medicines to treat patients,” said Herren Wu, Vice President, Research & Development, Global Head of Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmune.
The Potelligent® CHOK1SV Cell Line is available under a license agreement with Lonza and BioWa.