Genentech licenses BioWa Potelligent technology for use in antibody development

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, March 24 - Genentech, Inc. said Friday that it licensed from BioWa, Inc. its Potelligent technology for use in researching and developing select Genentech antibodies for potential therapeutic applications that may include enhancement of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity.

Under the agreement, BioWa will provide Genentech with exclusive commercial rights to use the technology for multiple antibodies, according to a company news release.

In return, BioWa will receive technology access fees and may receive milestone payments and royalties if products are developed by Genentech, officials said. Additional terms were not disclosed.

"We believe this is an important opportunity to aid the development of more effective targeted treatments for cancer and other life-threatening and debilitating diseases," Nobuo Hanai, BioWa president and chief executive officer, said in the release.

Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity is an important function of the human immune system whereby immune cells can kill target cells, for example cancer cells.

Several anticancer therapeutic antibodies that are on the market have antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity as one of their mechanisms for the killing of tumor cells. Enhancement of this activity is one promising approach in the next generation of antibody technologies.

Potelligent technology involves the reduction of the amount of fucose in the carbohydrate structure of an antibody using a proprietary fucosyltransferase-knockout CHO cell line as a production cell. Research shows that Potelligent technology significantly enhances antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity of an antibody in vitro, thereby increasing the potential for improved activity in vivo, officials said.

BioWa is a Princeton, N.J.-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd., Japan's leading pharmaceutical and largest biotechnology company and is the exclusive worldwide licensor of Potelligent technology. BioWa creates and develops enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity antibodies, offering a full range of antibody discovery and development capabilities.

Genentech is a South San Francisco biotechnology company that develops, manufactures and commercializes biotherapeutics for significant unmet medical needs.

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