Tillots Pharma licenses CHO cell line tech from Lonza and BioWa
The deal sees Japanese Zeria Group subsidiary Tillots Pharma license the cell line technology for use in the R&D of its antibody pipeline, including lead candidate TP10, to enhance antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC).
Johannes Spleiss, Tillotts CSO, said: “With this license agreement, we continue to build a strong technology base for our biologics development activities; and we are pleased that we can now incorporate Biowa’s/Lonza’s validated knowledge into TP10, our most advanced antibody therapy in development for certain GI indications”
Financial details of the deal have not been divulged.
CHO cell line and POTELLIGENT
The platform comprises the cell line CHOK1SV from Lonza, in combination with BioWa’s engineered glycosylation POTELLIGENT technology.
According to a Lonza spokesperson, the CHO cell line is a component of its GS expression system, which has been used in the development of 38 approved biologics to date.
“It has the advantage of being well known to regulators – has a proven track record – as well as being high-yielding and stable,” the Swiss contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) told us. “It uses a robust viral promoter and selection via glutamine metabolism to provide rapid development of high-yielding and stable mammalian cell lines.”
The POTELLIGENT version uses this cell line along with Kyowa Hakko Kirin offshoot BioWa’s technology used to knockout a specific enzyme, fucosyl transferase.
“This enzyme usually adds fucose to the carbohydrate/glycan component of antibodies. The result in the knock out cell line is antibodies without fucose in their carbohydrate components. The fucose-lacking mAbs bind more efficiently to FcγRIIIa (CD16) and therefore increase antibody dependant cell cytotoxicity.”
