Genmab, Medarex and Glaucus announce collaboration to develop human
antibody therapeutics and proteomics technology
"Highest quality
antibodies" for the Human Proteome Project
McLean, Virginia (ots-PRNewswire) -
Genmab A/S (CSE: GEN and Neuer Markt: GE9D), Medarex (Nasdaq: MEDX), and Glaucus Proteomics B.V., a privately held company incorporated in The Netherlands, announced today that they have entered into a collaboration to develop new antibody therapeutic products to novel disease targets discovered by Glaucus.
Using Medarex's HuMAb-Mouse(R) technology, Glaucus intends over the forthcoming years to establish a warehouse of fully human antibodies that will be used to construct an antibody reporter matrix. Glaucus expects to use the matrix for signature profiling of human tissues in health and disease via chip-based differential analysis of protein expression levels, i.e. in a manner similar to a cDNA biochip, but directed at the molecular workhorses of biology - proteins.
Apart from screening applications, some of these human antibodies are expected to be employed for diagnostics and therapeutic applications. In exchange for the rights to use fully human antibodies in connection with its proteomics technology, Glaucus will provide all the novel targets it discovers through its own research efforts using the HuMAb technology to the collaboration. The alliance is intended to help ensure rapid progress from target discovery to the development of therapeutic agents. Further details relating to experimental procedures and current deliverables in this sector will be reported today by Glaucus at the first Human Proteome Project meeting in McLean, Virginia.
"Our high affinity human antibodies married to proteomics technology are an ideal partnership," said Lisa. N. Drakeman, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Genmab. "We believe that this collaboration has the potential to discover vital information about many disease states and to provide many novel disease targets that could lead to numerous new antibody products. This fits in with Genmab's business plan to develop a broad portfolio of new antibody therapies."
"We believe that proteomics and human antibodies will lead to many opportunities for new disease treatments, and we are extremely pleased to be working together with Glaucus and Genmab to achieve that goal," said Donald L. Drakeman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Medarex.
"With Medarex and Genmab, we intend to transform a powerful enabling technology in proteomics that is centred on target discovery into one which is also linked to a drug warehouse of pre-screened fully human antibodies. We are delighted to work together with such prestigious partners in the field of monoclonal antibodies", said the COO of Glaucus, Prof. Ian Humphery-Smith, speaking from the Human Proteome Project Meeting in McLean, Virginia. "For us, it is of paramount importance to access the highest quality antibodies from the outset of a program designed to raise antibodies against the constituents of the human proteome. Indeed, it would appear highly counter productive for us to identify targets on such a large scale using antibodies, if we then had to raise another set of human antibodies to the very same targets for therapeutic applications. Thus, not only does this present a cost-effective route going forward, we believe it opens up several highly attractive business models to the signatories of this alliance both in the short and longer term."
"It is unlikely that the Human Proteome Project will be completed without the systematic development of high affinity and high specificity antibodies directed against the output of each and every Open Reading Frame in the Human Genome. The advantage of traditional hybridoma technologies for the production of monoclonal antibodies is the high ligand-binding affinities produced, which ultimately may translate into potentially useful assay sensitivity," said Prof. Humphery-Smith.
Immunisation and antibody screening procedures will be conducted in parallel and based on Glaucus technologies for rendering antibody production genomically relevant. In addition, it is expected that Medarex, Genmab and Glaucus will identify further areas for synergistic activities and mutual benefit during the course of this agreement.
In order to evaluate both ligand recognition and potential target cross-reactivity, antibodies will have been screened against large numbers of recombinant antigens laid down on glass slides using Glaucus proprietary surface chemistries and employing proprietary extreme-HTS robotic engines capable of screening more than 100,000,000 ELISA-equivalents per day per robot. The latter robots have recently completed two years of prototyping and are awaiting shipping to Glaucus facilities in The Netherlands. For more information about Glaucus, visit http://www.GlaucusProt.com .
Genmab A/S is a biotechnology company that creates and develops fully human antibodies for the treatment of life-threatening and debilitating diseases. Genmab has four products in development to treat cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, and intends to assemble a broad portfolio of new therapeutic products arising from research into the human genome. At present, Genmab's commercial opportunities are based upon research conducted at leading international companies, such as Immunex Corporation, Gemini Genomics plc, Oxford GlycoSciences Ltd., Eos Biotechnology Inc. and Medarex, Inc. as well as in its own laboratories. A broad alliance provides Genmab with access to Medarex's array of proprietary technologies, including the UltiMAb(TM) platform for the rapid creation and development of fully human antibodies to virtually any disease target. For more information about Genmab, visit www.genmab.com
Medarex is a biopharmaceutical company developing monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics to fight cancer and other life-threatening and debilitating diseases. Medarex has assembled a broad platform of patented technologies for antibody discovery and development, including the UltiMAb(TM) Human Antibody Development System(SM) for the creation of high-affinity, fully human antibodies; T-12 Development(SM) offering the potential to move from target to trial in approximately 12 months; and Trans-Phage Technology(SM) combining high throughput screening with fully human antibody development. Medarex creates and develops fully human antibodies for itself and others, offering a full range of antibody development capabilities, including pre-clinical and clinical manufacturing services. For more information about Medarex, visit its Web site at http://www.medarex.com .
Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements preceded by, followed by, or that include the words "believes"; "anticipates"; "plans"; "expects"; "estimates"; or similar statements are forward-looking statements.
For Medarex: Risks and uncertainties include risks associated with product discovery and development as well as risks detailed from time to time in Medarex's public disclosure filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999, subsequent Form 10-Q and Form 8-K filings or in Genmab's filings with the Copenhagen Stock Exchange and the Neuer Markt. Copies of Medarex's public disclosure filings are available from its investor relations department. There can be no assurance that such development efforts will succeed, that such products will receive required regulatory clearance or that, even if such regulatory clearance were received, such products would ultimately achieve commercial success.
HuMAb-Mouse(R) is a registered trademark of Medarex, Inc. UltiMAb(TM) is a trademark of Medarex, Inc. Human Antibody Development System(SM), T-12 Development(SM) and Trans-Phage Technology(SM) are service marks of Medarex, Inc.
ots Original Text Service: Genmab A/S Internet: www.newsaktuell.ch
Contact:
Dr. Lisa N. Drakeman, Chief Executive Officer,
Genmab A/S, phone +45-7020-2728 or
Dr. Donald L. Drakeman, President and CEO, Medarex, Inc.,
phone +1 609-430-2880 or
Kelly O'Brien, Middleberg Euro for Genmab and Medarex,
phone +1 212-699-2541 or email kelly@middleberg.com or
Prof. Ian Humphery-Smith, Chief Operating Officer,
Glaucus Proteomics B.V., phone +31-30-24-33-834
Internet:
www.GlaucusProt.com or
www.medarex.com or
www.genmab.com