Basel, Switzerland, Ghent, Belgium and Breda, The Netherlands– Lonza, a global leader in biological manufacturing and arGEN-X N.V., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on creating and developing differentiated therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of cancer and severe autoimmune diseases, announced today that they have entered into a new, multi-product commercial license agreement for the production of arGEN-X’s therapeutic antibodies. The license secures long-term access for arGEN-X and its strategic partners to Lonza’s proprietary GS Xceed™ System for creation and development of cell lines to be utilized in the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals.
The initiation of the multi-product GS Xceed™ License Agreement allows both companies the flexibility to move forward to commercial production of arGEN-X products, both now and in the future, said Karen Fallen, VP Head of Licensing, Lonza Custom Development Services.
Over the past four years, we have developed an excellent working relationship with Lonza, as evidenced by this new license agreement. The multi-product license strengthens the competitive positioning of our products and those of our sublicensees by optimizing the pharmacoeconomics of the antibody development process, said Tim Van Hauwermeiren, CEO of arGEN-X. We look forward to continuing to develop and manufacture our pipeline of differentiated therapeutic antibody products and to offering the benefits of this new license to our strategic partners.
The GS Xceed™ license agreement builds upon the productive relationship between Lonza and arGEN-X. Lonza has manufactured two of arGEN-X’s clinical-stage proprietary therapeutic antibodies to date, as well as a third program due to commence clinical trials in 2015. Under the new agreement, arGEN-X has access to the GS Xceed™ System for the development and manufacture of both current and future therapeutic antibody products.
The GS Xceed™ System is Lonza’s latest innovation in mammalian protein expression, offering reduced cell line construction timelines and increased product yields. For products in the early stages of development, the system was designed to help create commercially viable production cell lines for seamless integration into the Lonza platform process.
About Lonza
Lonza is one of the world’s leading and most-trusted suppliers to the pharmaceutical, biotech and specialty ingredients markets. We harness science and technology to create products that support safer and healthier living and that enhance the overall quality of life.
Not only are we a custom manufacturer and developer, Lonza also offers services and products ranging from active pharmaceutical ingredients and stem-cell therapies to drinking water sanitizers, from the vitamin B compounds and organic personal care ingredients to agricultural products, and from industrial preservatives to microbial control solutions that combat dangerous viruses, bacteria and other pathogens.
Founded in 1897 in the Swiss Alps, Lonza today is a well-respected global company with more than 40 major manufacturing and R&D facilities and approximately 9,800 full-time employees worldwide. The company generated sales of about CHF 3.64 billion in 2014 and is organized into two market-focused segments: Pharma&Biotech and Specialty Ingredients. Further information can be found atwww.lonza.com.
About arGEN-X
arGEN-X is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on creating and developing differentiated therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of cancer and severe autoimmune diseases.
arGEN-X has generated a pipeline of differentiated clinical and preclinical antibody candidates using its SIMPLE Antibody™ discovery platform. SIMPLE Antibody™ has a particular strength in addressing novel, complex disease targets that are difficult to access using established antibody technology platforms. Proprietary Fc engineering technologies (NHance® and ABDEG™) and POTELLIGENT® technology (licensed from BioWa, Inc.) further enhance the therapeutic properties of SIMPLE Antibody™ leads in terms of tissue penetration/residence time in the body, ability to clear disease targets or pathogenic antibodies and cell-killing potency through Antibody-Dependent Cell-mediated Cytotoxicity (ADCC), respectively. arGEN-X has leveraged its suite of antibody technologies in forging strategic collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to provide new approaches to diseases with unmet medical needs. arGEN-X is listed on the Euronext Brussels exchange under the symbol ARGX. Further information can be found atwww.arGEN-X.com
Lonza Additional Information and Disclaimer
Lonza Group Ltd is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and secondary listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX-ST). Lonza Group Ltd is not subject to the SGX-ST’s continuing listing requirements. Lonza Group Ltd is subject to the listing rules of the SIX Swiss Exchange, which does not have specific requirements equivalent to the listing rules of the SGX-ST for interested person transactions, acquisition and realizations and delisting.
Certain matters discussed in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and estimates of Lonza Group Ltd, although Lonza Group Ltd can give no assurance that these expectations and estimates will be achieved. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty and are qualified in their entirety. The actual results may differ materially in the future from the forward-looking statements included in this news release due to various factors. Furthermore, except as otherwise required by law, Lonza Group Ltd disclaims any intention or obligation to update the statements contained in this news release.
