Aug. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- CuraGen Corporation (Nasdaq: CRGN - news), an integrated genomics based drug discovery and development company, and Abgenix, Inc. (Nasdaq: ABGX - news) announced today that the Companies have selected 24 antibody drug targets for further evaluation and possible development as cancer therapeutics. As outlined in their five-year strategic collaboration, Abgenix will apply its XenoMouse technology to produce fully human antibodies directed against antibody drug targets discovered by CuraGen. Throughout the term of their collaboration, CuraGen and Abgenix are collaborating in the identification and development of up to 120 antibody drug candidates against cancer, inflammation and autoimmune diseases.
Once the drug targets are identified, a joint selection team comprised of representatives from both companies evaluates and selects the most promising drug targets. Antibodies that are successfully raised against the 24 selected drug targets will be tested for efficacy against cancer in pre-clinical studies. Those antibodies with the greatest potential as treatments against cancer will be advanced further through the preclinical stages of the drug development process.
``Our alliance with CuraGen has made tremendous progress in an extremely short period of time. In only seven months, Abgenix and CuraGen have selected 24 antibody drug targets for our scientists to generate antibodies against through the application of XenoMouse technology,'' said R. Scott Greer, chairman and CEO of Abgenix. ``Under the terms of our collaboration, each company will then select the most promising antibody drug candidates for further development.''
``Our scientists are leveraging CuraGen's innovative technologies and genomics expertise to systematically mine the human genome to uncover genes and proteins for use as potential therapeutics and drug targets. This collaboration is enabling us to effectively broaden CuraGen's portfolio of potential therapeutics by leveraging genomic and XenoMouse technologies to quickly generate human antibodies against our vast database of drug targets,'' stated Jonathan M. Rothberg, Ph.D., Founder, Chairman, and CEO of CuraGen Corporation.
CuraGen is utilizing its Internet-based technologies and genomics expertise to discover protein and antibody drugs, and small molecule drug targets for development within the Company's internal disease programs. CuraGen is actively developing therapeutics to treat obesity and diabetes, cancer, inflammatory diseases, and psychiatric disorders. |
