SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Sept. 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GigaGen Inc., a biotechnology company advancing transformative antibody drugs for infectious diseases, transplant rejection and checkpoint resistant cancers, and a subsidiary of Grifols, announced today that it has signed a license agreement with Dutch biotech ProteoNic B.V. for the use of its premium 2G UnicTM technology platform to enable high-yield production of GigaGen’s mono- and polyclonal antibody drug candidates.
Under the agreement, GigaGen gains non-exclusive, worldwide commercial rights for application of ProteoNic’s technology platform for the development and manufacturing of GigaGen’s recombinant antibody drugs. Financial terms include upfront and maintenance payments, as well as milestone payments per product.
ProteoNic’s protein expression technology, 2G UNic improves recombinant protein production levels across a range of mammalian host cells, selection systems and protein targets. This is achieved via the combined effect of novel genetic elements, which together exert a positive effect on recombinant protein production levels. The technology increases production levels of complex proteins which are difficult to produce, including bi-specifics and fusion molecules and levels of products already in the multiple g/L range. Additionally, 2G UNic can be used to boost performance of other expression-enhancing technologies.
About Grifols
Grifols is a global healthcare company founded in Barcelona in 1909 committed to improving the health and well-being of people around the world. Its four divisions – Bioscience, Diagnostic, Hospital and Bio Supplies – develop, produce and market innovative solutions and services that are sold in more than 100 countries.
Pioneers in the plasma industry, Grifols operates a growing network of donation centers worldwide. It transforms collected plasma into essential medicines to treat chronic, rare and, at times, life-threatening conditions. As a recognized leader in transfusion medicine, Grifols also offers a comprehensive portfolio of solutions designed to enhance safety from donation to transfusion. In addition, the company supplies tools, information and services that enable hospitals, pharmacies and healthcare professionals to efficiently deliver expert medical care.
Grifols, with nearly 24,000 employees in more than 30 countries and regions, is committed to a sustainable business model that sets the standard for continuous innovation, quality, safety and ethical leadership.
In 2020, Grifols’ economic impact in its core countries of operation was EUR 7.5 billion. The company also generated 140,000 jobs, including indirect and induced.
The company’s class A shares are listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange, where they are part of the Ibex-35 (MCE:GRF). Grifols non-voting class B shares are listed on the Mercado Continuo (MCE:GRF.P) and on the U.S. NASDAQ through ADRs (NASDAQ:GRFS).
GigaGen is advancing transformative antibody drugs for immune deficiency, infectious diseases and checkpoint resistant cancers by leveraging industry-leading, single-cell technologies. Its novel technology platforms uniquely capture and recreate complete immune repertoires as functional antibody libraries. This approach has enabled the creation of first-in-class recombinant polyclonal antibody therapies for the treatment of infectious diseases, including GigaGen’s lead asset GIGA-2050 for COVID-19. In addition, GigaGen’s lead oncology asset, GIGA-564, is an anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody that has demonstrated improved anti-tumor efficacy in vivo through a unique mechanism of action.
For more information, please visit www.grifols.com or www.gigagen.com.
About ProteoNic BV
ProteoNic is a privately held company with offices in Leiden, the Netherlands and in the Boston area, USA. The company offers technology and services for the generation of cell lines with greatly improved biologics production characteristics, including production levels and stability. The company commercializes its proprietary 2G UNic™ technology through licensing and partnership arrangements. For more information, see www.proteonic.nl
Media Contacts:
Monica Rouco Molina, Ph.D.
LifeSci Communications
mroucomolina@lifescicomms.com
Tel: +1-929-469-3850
Grifols Press Office
media@grifols.com
Tel. +34 571 00 02
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