BioWa and Lonza Collaborates to Generate Optimized Production Platform for Potent Antibodies

BioWa, Inc. and Lonza announced that they have signed a strategic research collaboration agreement to combine BioWa’s POTELLIGENT® technology with Lonza’s GS Gene Expression System™ and CHOK1SV cell line.

This is expected to generate a new technology platform to produce more potent antibodies with enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) in a high-yield mammalian expression system for industry wide use.

Under the terms of the agreement, the parties intend to make the new POTELLIGENT® CHOK1SV cell line available for licensing and it will be offered as part of Lonza’s development services in combination with Lonza’s GS Gene Expression System™. Details of financial terms were not disclosed.

“This collaboration with Lonza, one of the leading providers of antibody production services, will enable us to jointly offer a superior production platform to parties interested in the development of efficacy-enhanced antibody therapeutics. Lonza will be an important partner for BioWa to strengthen the production system of biological drugs”, said Dr. Masamichi Koike, BioWa’s President and CEO.

“We believe that combining both parties’ technologies addresses a clear market need to improve production yields and can significantly aid the development of more effective targeted treatments for cancer and other life-threatening and debilitating diseases.”

“We are glad to bring together our well established GS Gene Expression System™ with the innovative POTELLIGENT® technology of BioWa, thus being able to offer our customers a technology that results in more potent antibodies”, added Dr. Stephan Kutzer, Head of the Biopharmaceuticals Business Sector of Lonza.

The two companies will jointly market the new technology platform.