PRINCETON, N.J. and RICHMOND, Calif., June 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Medarex, Inc. (Nasdaq: MEDX - news) and Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGMO - news) announced today a strategic collaboration to develop fully human antibody therapeutics for certain G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a class of cell surface receptors widely regarded as an important source of novel drug targets for a number of serious diseases. The two companies will work exclusively on fully human antibody products that are jointly developed by the collaboration and will share costs and commercialization rights to such products.
Cells routinely communicate with one another in order to carry out normal physiological functions. When this intercellular communication goes awry, a number of different disease states can occur. GPCRs, which transmit these signals across cell membranes, have been implicated in a number of diseases. In fact, many therapeutics used today act by influencing GPCR signaling pathways. Since a number of GPCRs have yet to be identified, a significant amount of drug discovery research is focused on increasing the understanding of these important proteins.
Under the terms of the agreement, Sangamo will use its proprietary zinc finger DNA-binding protein transcription factor (ZFP TF) technology to create cell lines that over express selected GPCRs. Medarex expects to use its UltiMAb(TM) Human Antibody Development System(SM) to generate fully human antibodies to these GPCRs.
Produced by the immune system, antibodies are proteins that recognize and bind to a particular site on cells, viruses, and other organisms. They are generated in response to foreign substances called antigens; in this case, human GPCRs. Antibody products are now on the market for a variety of indications, including cancer, heart disease, and transplant rejection. In addition, a large number of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are exploring antibody technology to develop new products.
``With their increasing validation as therapeutically important drug targets, GPCRs continue to be an area of intense and promising drug discovery research,'' said Donald L. Drakeman, Medarex's president and chief executive officer. ``Sangamo's ZFP TF technology provides a unique and proprietary approach to create fully human antibody products to any clinically relevant GPCR. We intend to examine a number of different GPCRs that may be implicated in a variety of diverse diseases.''
``Our technology, coupled with Medarex's established expertise in fully human antibody products, represents a novel approach for discovering and developing new GPCR-based therapeutics,'' said Edward Lanphier, Sangamo's president and chief executive officer. ``The opportunity to work with a company of Medarex's stature to explore this promising drug discovery approach is extremely exciting. This agreement also represents another example of how Sangamo's ZFP TF technology can be applied for therapeutic product development, underscoring the breadth of our technology platform.'' |
