the EPIcyte version of a Dow agreement, this is slightly different than the Dow version posted earlier today by Nigel......
Message 14328650
Tuesday September 5, 12:46 pm Eastern Time
Press Release
EPIcyte and The Dow Chemical Company Sign
Agreement to Collaborate on Antibody Research
SAN DIEGO--(BW HealthWire)--Sept. 5, 2000--EPIcyte Pharmaceutical Inc. and The
Dow Chemical Company have announced a multi-million dollar joint research and product
development program for manufacturing large quantities of monoclonal antibodies in plants.
The two companies are collaborating to develop antibody-based products using EPIcyte's
proprietary Plantibodies(TM) technology to support EPIcyte's focus on OTC and
prescription markets and Dow AgroSciences' focus on Animal Health. Additionally, Dow will receive exclusive licenses to
Plantibodies(TM) products in the field of animal health.
The agreement includes a research program for optimizing antibody stability in plants and a manufacturing program to develop
optimal processing for recovery and purification of commercial products for both companies. Dow will manufacture at least five
of EPIcyte's Plantibodies(TM) products for human health. ``We are very pleased to about this alliance with Dow to further our
product development efforts and to exploit our Plantibodies(TM) technology,'' said Mich Hein, Ph.D., president of EPIcyte.
``Dow is already one of the most efficient manufacturers of intermediates and drug actives for the pharmaceutical industry. This
agreement will allow us to efficiently produce and purify antibodies for our first products and will allow us to accelerate
development of our product pipeline.''
As part of the agreement, EPIcyte will initially transfer the genes for its anti-herpes antibody to prevent the transmission of
herpes simplex virus and one additional antibody to Dow for expression in plants, with Dow having the right to manufacture
these antibodies for at least seven years. Additional antibodies will be transferred to Dow over the next year to initiate
production of EPIcyte's product candidates for respiratory syncytial virus, Clostridium difficile and other infectious agents.
``Dow has more than 20 years of experience in manufacturing pharmaceutical products. This agreement represents Dow's
expansion of that expertise into biopharmaceutical manufacturing,'' said Carolyn Fritz, global business director of Biotechnology
for Dow.
``Currently, manufacturing antibodies is an expensive process,'' said Neil Cowen, Dow AgroSciences global products leader
for Plant-Derived Therapeutics and Food Safety. ``We believe EPIcyte's technology will enable us to provide cost-effective
products for Animal Health and for protecting the human food supply,'' Cowen said.
EPIcyte's Plantibodies(TM) technology can be used to produce unlimited quantities of pharmaceutical-grade antibodies and
related molecules in plants. Plant-based antibody production systems are inherently more efficient than animal cell culture-based
systems and can result in manufacturing costs that are 25 to 100 times less expensive.
Dow is a leading science and technology company that provides innovative chemical, plastic and agricultural products and
services to many essential consumer markets. With annual sales of $19 billion, Dow serves customers in 162 countries and a
wide range of markets that are vital to human progress, including food, transportation, health and medicine, personal and home
care, and building and construction, among others. Committed to the principles of sustainable development, Dow and its
39,000 employees seek to balance economic, environmental and social responsibilities.
Dow AgroSciences LLC, is a global leader in providing pest management and biotechnology products that improve the quality
and quantity of the earth's food supply and contribute to the safety, health and quality of life of the world's growing population.
Dow AgroSciences has approximately 6,000 people in over 50 countries dedicated to its business, and has worldwide sales of
more than $2 billion. Dow AgroSciences is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company.
EPIcyte is a four-year-old company developing antibody-based products for the prevention and treatment of infections. The
company currently has five antibody products in development. EPIcyte has extensive intellectual property for production of
antibodies in plants licensed from The Scripps Research Institute and has a strategic alliance with Dow/Dow AgroSciences for
product development and manufacturing of its Plantibodies(TM) products. It plans to license or partner its technology in areas
outside its product focus.
Plantibodies(TM) is a trademark of EPIcyte Pharmaceutical Inc.
Contact:
EPIcyte Pharmaceutical Inc.
Mich Hein, Ph.D., 858/554-0281
mbhein@epicyte.com
or
Mentus Inc.
Media Contact:
Kathy Witz, 858/455-5500, ext. 140
kwitz@mentusonline.com |
