Not really certain what they're doing, but I do know that it's fun and at least a tad relevant......
Tuesday August 22, 4:05 pm Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: Genencor International, Inc.
Genencor Obtains Key Rights for Immunology
Platform Development - Licenses for i-mune(TM)
Mouse Program -
PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Genencor International, Inc. (Nasdaq: GCOR - news) announced today that
it has expanded the scope of its licenses from Medarex, Inc. (Nasdaq: MEDX - news) through Medarex's wholly owned
subsidiary GenPharm International, Inc. Genencor also announced today that it has licensed a key patent family from Pharming
Group NV. Both of these developments are important for advancing the company's i-mune(TM) mouse program.
The licenses from Medarex give Genencor the freedom to develop, generate and use mice with transplanted human cells for
research and development of commercial non-antibody therapeutic products. The licensed Pharming patents cover the insertion
of greater than 50 kb DNA into a mammalian cell or animal, which can be used to introduce human genes into a mouse, an
important step in the development of Genencor's i-mune transgenic mouse model.
``This is a very important step in the development of our i-mune mouse model,'' said Dr. Michael V. Arbige, senior vice
president of technology for Genencor. ``This model, along with our predictive antigen system, the in vitro i-mune(TM) assay,
will further expand our broad reaching immunology platform. Opportunities for this platform are expansive across all of our
target markets, but they will certainly play a major role in our developments for the health care market.''
Genencor is currently developing a transgenic mouse model of the human immune system. Current models fail to develop
normal immune systems when supplied with allogeneic (mismatched) mouse immune cells or human immune cells. To date,
Genencor has developed a novel immuno-deficient mouse model that overcomes the genetic barriers associated with
mismatched bone marrow transplantation. Comparable engraftment of human hematopoietic stem cells requires the addition of
human factors that are best provided using transgenic methods. Genencor's transgenic mouse model of the human immune
system will provide an important tool for the modeling of human infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders, as well as other
diseases affecting the immune system.
Genencor International is a global leader in the development of genetically based biotechnology products for the health care,
agriculture and industrial chemicals markets. Genencor was established in 1982 as a joint venture between Genentech Inc. and
Corning Incorporated. Since its founding, Genencor has grown to become a leading biotechnology company, with over $300
million in 1999 revenue, more than 250 biotechnology products in commerce, and over 3,000 owned and licensed patents and
applications. Genencor, with more than 1,500 employees worldwide, has principal offices in Palo Alto, California; Rochester,
New York; and Leiden, the Netherlands.
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release may contain forward-looking
statements which involve risks and uncertainties, including significant fluctuations in product performance depending on factors
such as a dependence on the efforts of third parties, a new and uncertain technology employed by Genencor and its uncertain
application to new business ventures, dependence on intellectual property rights, the competitive nature of Genencor's industry
and risks of obsolescence of certain technology. Actual results may differ materially from those projected. Forward-looking
statements represent the judgment of Genencor as of the date of this release. Genencor disclaims, however, any intent or
obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
For More Information
Investors: Amy Giller, +1-650-846-7500
Media: Angie Blackwell, +1-716-256-5200
SOURCE: Genencor International, Inc. |
