On February 28th, 2007, Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. (KHK) based in Tokyo, Japan (President and CEO: Dr. Yuzuru Matsuda) agreed to license its in-house developed antibody KW-2871 to a US pharmaceutical development company Life Science Pharmaceuticals (LSP) based in Delaware (Chairman and CEO: James Fiore). 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.
TOKYO, Japan | Mar 06, 2007 | On February 28th, 2007, Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. (KHK) based in Tokyo, Japan (President and CEO: Dr. Yuzuru Matsuda) agreed to license its in-house developed antibody KW-2871 to a US pharmaceutical development company Life Science Pharmaceuticals (LSP) based in Delaware (Chairman and CEO: James Fiore). 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.
Â@Under this agreement, KHK will receive an upfront payment, milestone payments and royalties on sales of commercialized products from LSP.
Â@This 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.
Â@Based on the results of these trials, KHK planned to investigate the possibility of further increasing clinical efficacy of this compound in combination with other anticancer agents, and has been looking for a potential alliance partner to accelerate its development and this time reached an agreement with LSP.
Â@KHK and LICR conducted a Phase I clinical trial of KW-2871 in Australia and LICR has a stake in LSP. LICR is going to develop the compound in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) Melanoma and Skin Cancer Program led by a world authority in the treatment and research of malignant melanoma.
Â@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).
Â@KHK has been actively engaged in R&D on antibodies. Its antibody related activities include expansion of the pipeline of in-house developed therapeutic antibodies, granting licenses on its proprietary "POTELLIGENT®" technology to create enhanced ADCC antibodies through BioWa, Inc., its subsidiary established in the US for strategic commercial development of the antibody business, construction the facility to manufacture antibodies for clinical trials, etc. KHK designates therapeutic antibodies as a core area in pursing growth in its pharmaceutical business.
Â@KHK considers that the development of KW-2871, its most promising therapeutic antibody candidate, by LICR and UPCI devoted to the cutting-edge research for treatment of malignant melanoma via its licensee LSP will be the best choice and shorten the time to the NDA filing and launching.
Â@KHK is committed to maximizing the value of its in-house developed drug candidates through efficient and effective development activities including alliances, thereby contributing to the heath and well-being of people worldwide.
About Life Science Pharmaceuticals
Â@The mission of Life Science Pharmaceuticals (LSP) is to develop antibody therapeutic products for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. LSP maintains a collaborative relationship with the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and other clinical research organizations to develop its therapeutic candidates.
About the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
Â@The Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research(LICR) is the largest international not-for-profit institute dedicated to understanding and controlling cancer. With operations at 43 sites in 15 countries, the scientific network that is LICR quite literally spans the globe. LICR has developed an impressive portfolio of reagents, knowledge, expertise, and intellectual property, and has also assembled the personnel, facilities, and practices necessary to patent, clinically evaluate, license, and thus translate, the most promising aspects of its own laboratory research into cancer therapies.
About the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (Melanoma and Skin Cancer Program)
Â@The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) is a medical research organization at the University of Pittsburgh. Under the leadership of a world authority in malignant melanoma research John M. Kirkwood, M.D., it is dedicated to the research on treatments for melanoma and skin cancer.
SOURCE: Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd
Post Views: 188
On February 28th, 2007, Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. (KHK) based in Tokyo, Japan (President and CEO: Dr. Yuzuru Matsuda) agreed to license its in-house developed antibody KW-2871 to a US pharmaceutical development company Life Science Pharmaceuticals (LSP) based in Delaware (Chairman and CEO: James Fiore). 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.
TOKYO, Japan | Mar 06, 2007 | On February 28th, 2007, Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. (KHK) based in Tokyo, Japan (President and CEO: Dr. Yuzuru Matsuda) agreed to license its in-house developed antibody KW-2871 to a US pharmaceutical development company Life Science Pharmaceuticals (LSP) based in Delaware (Chairman and CEO: James Fiore). 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.
Â@Under this agreement, KHK will receive an upfront payment, milestone payments and royalties on sales of commercialized products from LSP.
Â@This 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.
Â@Based on the results of these trials, KHK planned to investigate the possibility of further increasing clinical efficacy of this compound in combination with other anticancer agents, and has been looking for a potential alliance partner to accelerate its development and this time reached an agreement with LSP.
Â@KHK and LICR conducted a Phase I clinical trial of KW-2871 in Australia and LICR has a stake in LSP. LICR is going to develop the compound in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) Melanoma and Skin Cancer Program led by a world authority in the treatment and research of malignant melanoma.
Â@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).
Â@KHK has been actively engaged in R&D on antibodies. Its antibody related activities include expansion of the pipeline of in-house developed therapeutic antibodies, granting licenses on its proprietary "POTELLIGENT®" technology to create enhanced ADCC antibodies through BioWa, Inc., its subsidiary established in the US for strategic commercial development of the antibody business, construction the facility to manufacture antibodies for clinical trials, etc. KHK designates therapeutic antibodies as a core area in pursing growth in its pharmaceutical business.
Â@KHK considers that the development of KW-2871, its most promising therapeutic antibody candidate, by LICR and UPCI devoted to the cutting-edge research for treatment of malignant melanoma via its licensee LSP will be the best choice and shorten the time to the NDA filing and launching.
Â@KHK is committed to maximizing the value of its in-house developed drug candidates through efficient and effective development activities including alliances, thereby contributing to the heath and well-being of people worldwide.
About Life Science Pharmaceuticals
Â@The mission of Life Science Pharmaceuticals (LSP) is to develop antibody therapeutic products for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. LSP maintains a collaborative relationship with the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and other clinical research organizations to develop its therapeutic candidates.
About the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
Â@The Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research(LICR) is the largest international not-for-profit institute dedicated to understanding and controlling cancer. With operations at 43 sites in 15 countries, the scientific network that is LICR quite literally spans the globe. LICR has developed an impressive portfolio of reagents, knowledge, expertise, and intellectual property, and has also assembled the personnel, facilities, and practices necessary to patent, clinically evaluate, license, and thus translate, the most promising aspects of its own laboratory research into cancer therapies.
About the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (Melanoma and Skin Cancer Program)
Â@The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) is a medical research organization at the University of Pittsburgh. Under the leadership of a world authority in malignant melanoma research John M. Kirkwood, M.D., it is dedicated to the research on treatments for melanoma and skin cancer.
SOURCE: Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd
Post Views: 188
