Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. licenses its in-house developed antibody KW-2871 targeting malignant melanoma to Life Science Pharma

07-Mar-2007

Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. (KHK) agreed to license its in-house developed antibody KW-2871 to US pharmaceutical development company Life Science Pharmaceuticals (LSP). KHK grants to LSP an exclusive world-wide license to develop and market the compound. KW-2871 will be continued to be developed by the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) based in New York in collaboration with LSP. The compound entered Phase I/IIa clinical trials targeting a skin cancer, malignant melanoma, in 2002 in the US. After their completion, an additional study has been conducted to find the optimal dose.

Under this agreement, KHK will receive an upfront payment, milestone payments and royalties on sales of commercialized products from LSP.

KW-2871 is a chimeric monoclonal antibody specifically binding to the ganglioside antigen, GD3, expressed on the surface of malignant melanoma cells and exerts an anticancer effect by activating effector cells (natural killer cells, monocytes, etc.) which kill, mediated by antibodies, the target cells including cancer cells (antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, ADCC), or destroying cell membranes with complement proteins (complement-dependent cytotoxicity).

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Topic world Antibodies

Antibodies are specialized molecules of our immune system that can specifically recognize and neutralize pathogens or foreign substances. Antibody research in biotech and pharma has recognized this natural defense potential and is working intensively to make it therapeutically useful. From monoclonal antibodies used against cancer or autoimmune diseases to antibody-drug conjugates that specifically transport drugs to disease cells - the possibilities are enormous

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Topic world Antibodies

Antibodies are specialized molecules of our immune system that can specifically recognize and neutralize pathogens or foreign substances. Antibody research in biotech and pharma has recognized this natural defense potential and is working intensively to make it therapeutically useful. From monoclonal antibodies used against cancer or autoimmune diseases to antibody-drug conjugates that specifically transport drugs to disease cells - the possibilities are enormous