[BioWa has two technology platforms for mAbs: ‘Complegent’ to enhance CDC and ‘Potelligent’ to enhance ADCC. This PR is about the former; MEDX already has a license for the latter.]
PRINCETON, N.J., July 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BioWa, Inc. and Medarex, Inc. (Nasdaq: MEDX ) announced today that they have entered into a license agreement which provides Medarex with the first ever access to BioWa's COMPLEGENT(TM) Technology for enhancing the complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) of select Medarex therapeutic antibodies.
The license grants Medarex non-exclusive rights to research, develop and commercialize therapeutic antibodies based on COMPLEGENT(TM) Technology for an undisclosed number of targets. In return, BioWa will receive upfront payment, license fees, development milestone payments and royalties on products. Other details of the agreement are not disclosed.
"We are very pleased to announce this new partnership with Medarex, who is also our first partner for POTELLIGENT® Technology," commented Dr. Masamichi Koike, President and CEO of BioWa. "This collaboration with Medarex greatly helps us explore the potential of COMPLEGENT(TM) Technology for antibody-based therapies."
"We are excited about the possibility of enhancing our antibodies with BioWa's technology platform," said Howard H. Pien, President and CEO of Medarex. "Our partnership grants Medarex the first access to COMPLEGENT(TM) Technology and we look forward to investigating its potential as we continue to advance our pipeline."
About COMPLEGENT(TM) Technology
COMPLEGENT(TM) Technology is a new technology developed by Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. that enhances one of the major mechanisms of action of an antibody, CDC. With an approach called isotype chimerism, in which portions of IgG3, an antibody's isotype, are introduced into corresponding regions of IgG1, the standard isotype for therapeutic antibodies, COMPLEGENT(TM) Technology significantly enhances CDC activity beyond that of either IgG1 or IgG3, while retaining the desirable features of IgG1, such as ADCC, PK profile and Protein A binding. In addition, it can be used together with POTELLIGENT® Technology, creating an even superior therapeutic Mab (AccretaMab(TM)) with enhanced ADCC and CDC activities.
About BioWa, Inc.
BioWa is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. (TSE: 4151 - News), Japan's leading pharmaceutical and largest biotech company, and is the exclusive worldwide licensor of AccretaMab(TM) platform. AccretaMab(TM) platform consists of POTELLIGENT® and COMPLEGENT(TM) Technologies, creating a superior antibody molecule with enhanced ADCC and CDC activities. BioWa is offering POTELLIGENT® and COMPLEGENT(TM) Technologies to partners under a license to maximize the value of these technologies. Together with Kyowa, BioWa is focused on development of ADCC/CDC enhanced monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics to fight cancer and other life-threatening and debilitating diseases. For more information about BioWa, visit its web site at www.biowa.com‹
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