European Molecular Biology Laboratory --EMBL-- and Abnova Corporation Announce Partnership Agreement for High-Throughput Monoclonal Antibody Production
Tuesday November 9, 4:20 am ET
HEIDELBERG, Germany & TAIPEI, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 9, 2004--EMBL, the leading European molecular biology research institute, has joined force with Abnova Corporation to set the precedent for high-throughput monoclonal antibody production. Abnova is a bio-tool company with extensive experience in industrial-scale production of recombinant proteins and antibodies. Under the partnership, EMBL's adjunctive technologies relating to automated platform and monoclonal antibody production developed in EMBL Monoclonal Core Facility at Monterotondo, Italy will augment Abnova's in-house capability and infrastructure. The partnership also provides the framework for the marketing collaboration between EMBL Enterprise Management (EMBLEM) and Abnova for the custom OEM monoclonal antibody business. A subsidiary of Abnova, Abnova GmbH is formed to consolidate and expand the company's custom service to meet the large-scale antibody needs of the academic and industrial communities worldwide.
Dr. Martin Raditsch, Deputy Managing Director at EMBLEM remarked: "The high throughput monoclonal antibody technology has significant impact on the progress in proteomic research. We have been looking for a partner to create a synergy in technology and business with respect to quality, speed, and cost. Abnova has built a manufacturing infrastructure that mirrors the successful IT industry in Taiwan. It has also assembled an impressive portfolio of technologies, automations, and industrial-style management in the last two years."
Dr. Wilber Huang, CEO and President of Abnova, commented: "Through our collaboration with EMBL, we are able to further our role as the pre-eminent leader in high-throughput antibody production. We plan to leverage our antibody expertise to advance four principal business activities: custom service, partnership, catalog, and licensing. Custom service and partnership now form the core of our business. We are concurrently developing the most comprehensive, antibody bio-tool catalog for the drug discovery and diagnostic industry. At such, we are focusing on several key areas of human proteins: kinase, apoptosis, receptors, stem cell and plasma proteome. The collaboration with EMBL is the latest step in our effort to realize these goals."
About EMBL (http://www.embl.org)
The European Molecular Biology Laboratory is a basic research institute funded by public research monies from 17 member states, including most of the EU, Switzerland and Israel. Research at EMBL is conducted by approximately 80 independent groups covering the spectrum of molecular biology. The Laboratory has five units: the main Laboratory in Heidelberg, and Outstations in Hinxton (the European Bioinformatics Institute), Grenoble, Hamburg, and Monterotondo near Rome. The cornerstones of EMBL's mission are: to perform basic research in molecular biology, to train scientists, students and visitors at all levels, to offer vital services to scientists in the member states, and to develop new instruments and methods in the life sciences. EMBL's international PhD Programme has a student body of about 170. The Laboratory also sponsors an active Science and Society programme. Visitors from the press and public are welcome.
About EMBLEM (http://www.embl-em.de)
EMBL Enterprise Management Technology Transfer GmbH (EMBLEM) is a subsidiary and the commercial arm of the EMBL. EMBLEM, established in 1999 identifies, protects and commercializes the intellectual property developed in the EMBL-world, from EMBL-alumni and from non-EMBL third parties. The aim of EMBLEM is to facilitate and accelerate the transfer of innovative technologies from basic research to industry and hence contributes to the development of new diagnostics, drugs and therapies.
About Abnova (www.abnova.com.tw)
Abnova established in 2002 and has two manufacturing sites and a state-of-the-art SPF animal facility totaling 44,000 sq ft in Taiwan. It possesses technologies for scalable, high-throughput protein and antibody production through its in-house industrial engineering and in-licensing. It has 130 employees and a current production capacity of 400 new recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies per month. |
