Lonza and BioWa Sign License Agreements with FivePrime Therapeutics for Use of Their POTELLIGENT® CHOK1SV Cell Line for Therapeutic Antibody Development

PRINCETON, N.J., BASEL, Switzerland and SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., June 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Five Prime Therapeutics, Inc. ("FivePrime") has entered into research and commercial agreements with BioWa, Inc. and Lonza to use their POTELLIGENT® CHOK1SV Cell Line for the research, development and production of multiple proprietary antibodies in FivePrime's oncology 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 proprietary GS Gene Expression System™, which includes the industry-leading CHOK1SV cell line.

"We are pleased to offer the POTELLIGENT® CHOK1SV Cell Line as a key component to therapeutic antibody development," said Janet White, Head of Lonza Development Services. "We look forward to supporting FivePrime's R&D and clinical programs with this new strategic collaboration."

"We are pleased that the value of our POTELLIGENT® Technology continues to be recognized by innovative companies such as FivePrime for their biotherapeutic programs in oncology," said Yasunori Yamaguchi, PhD, President and CEO of BioWa.

"The combination of the clinical validation seen with other POTELLIGENT® antibodies and the track record of the GS cell line were key to our decision to select this system to enhance the potential for therapeutic efficacy of our emerging pipeline of antibodies in oncology," said Michael Kavanaugh, MD, Senior Vice President, Research and Development of FivePrime.

The POTELLIGENT® CHOK1SV Cell Line retains the desirable 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 antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (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.

The POTELLIGENT® CHOK1SV cell line is available under a license to Lonza customers as an option in cell line construction service offering. For more information visit us at [email protected].

About the GS Gene Expression System™

The GS Gene Expression System™, which is owned and licensed by Lonza, is used for the production of therapeutic recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies. Over 100 biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and over 75 academic laboratories worldwide are successfully using the GS Gene Expression System™ which has established itself as the industry standard. This system is characterized by its speed and ease of use. In addition, the higher yielding cell lines provide cost-efficient production of therapeutic proteins.

About FivePrime

FivePrime is a clinical-stage, privately held, biotechnology company with a strong pipeline of antibodies and ligand traps for cancer, autoimmunity and respiratory diseases. FivePrime has differentiated discovery capabilities built on its comprehensive library of secreted and extracellular human proteins, which it leverages in cell-based assays, in vivo models and receptor-ligand matching screens to identify medically relevant new targets and therapeutic proteins. FivePrime has entered into a collaboration agreement to develop and commercialize its lead product, FP-1039 (HGS1036), with Human Genome Sciences, Inc. in the United States, Canada and the EU. FivePrime has also established significant collaborations for the discovery of innovative biologics in specific therapeutic areas with several leading pharmaceutical companies, including GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer and Centocor. For more information about FivePrime, please visit FivePrime's web site at www.fiveprime.com.

About BioWa

BioWa is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., Japan's leading pharmaceutical and largest biotech company, and is the exclusive worldwide licensor of the AccretaMab® platform. The AccretaMab® platform consists of POTELLIGENT® and COMPLEGENT® Technologies, creating a superior antibody molecule with enhanced ADCC and CDC activities.  BioWa is offering POTELLIGENT® and COMPLEGENT® Technologies to partners under a license to maximize the value of these technologies.  Together with Kyowa Hakko Kirin, BioWa is committed to promote ADCC/CDC enhanced monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics to fight cancer and other life-threatening and debilitating diseases. May 29 2012, Kyowa Hakko Kirin has launched POTELIGEO®. This milestone event represents a critical validation point for the POTELLIGENT® Technology. For additional information visit http://www.kyowa-kirin.co.jp/english/news/2012/e20120529_02.html. For more information about BioWa, visit our web site at www.biowa.com.

POTELIGEO®, POTELLIGENT®, COMPLEGENT®, and AccretaMab® are the trademarks of Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd.  All rights are reserved.  

About Lonza

Lonza is one of the world's leading suppliers to the pharmaceutical, healthcare and life science industries. Products and services span its customers' needs from research to final product manufacture. It is the global leader in the production and support of active pharmaceutical ingredients both chemically as well as biotechnologically. Biopharmaceuticals are one of the key growth drivers of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Lonza has strong capabilities in large and small molecules, peptides, amino acids and niche bioproducts which play an important role in the development of novel medicines and healthcare products. Lonza is also the world leader in microbial control providing innovative, chemistry-based and related solutions to destroy or to selectively inhibit the growth of harmful microorganisms. Its activities encompass the areas of water treatment, personal care, health and hygiene, industrial preservation, materials protection, and wood treatment. In addition, Lonza is a leader in cell-based research, endotoxin detection and cell therapy manufacturing. Furthermore, the company is a leading provider of value chemical and biotech ingredients to the nutrition and agro markets.

Lonza is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and secondary listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited ("SGX-ST"). Lonza is not subject to the SGX-ST's continuing listing requirements. Lonza is subject to the listing rules of the SIX Swiss Exchange, which do not have specific requirements equivalent to the listing rules of the SGX-ST in respect of interested person transactions, acquisition and realizations, and delisting. In 2011, the company had sales of CHF 2.69 billion. Further information can be found at www.lonza.com.

SOURCE BioWa, Inc.