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 PRESS RELEASE
Oslo/Heidelberg, January 26, 1998
Affitech AS obtains an exclusive license on key technology within phage display of antibodies
Affitech AS has entered into an agreement with Deutsche Krebsforschungscentrum (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Germany, granting Affitech exclusive rights to a family of patents and patent applications related to phagemid display of antibody and protein fragments. In addition to obtaining this very important license, the strategic collaboration with DKFZ will also provide Affitech with joint research activities as well as exchange of personnel.
"I am very pleased that we have obtained the rights to this strategically important intellectual property" comments Dr. Ole J. Marvik, Managing Director of Affitech. "The phagemid principle is a well established technology and an important part of the phage display platform. As the examination reports are very encouraging we are confident that the patents will be granted in the near future."
Prof. Melvyn Little, of DKZF says: "The alliance with Affitech has been very good for DKFZ and we feel confident that this new agreement will be of further mutual benefit. Affitech provides an ideal combination of an experienced team of scientists, attractive financing, and a unique regional patent situation allowing our patents to be fully exploited.
Affitech is a biotechnology company based in Oslo, Norway, which specializes in the development of high affinity antibody fragments using combinatorial biology. The company was formed in 1997 as a joint initiative between Dr. Ole J. Marvik, based in Oslo, and Prof. Melvyn Little at the DKFZ, together with four of their colleagues.
Prof. Melvyn Little is the Head of the Recombinant Antibody Group at DKFZ, and has made seminal contributions to the development of phage display technology. He is an inventor on nine patents, three of which are related to phage display technology. His current research program combines the further development of antibody library technology with the creation of novel therapeutic antibody constructs for treating cancer and cardiovascular disease and for the prevention of organ transplant rejection.
The ability to tailor-make antibodies is one of the major new enabling technologies that has been developed over the last decade. It is expected to have far-reaching implications for all antibody-based products. With proprietary technology in this field, as well as extensive experience and know-how, Affitech expects to capitalize on this new development and to be a leader in this field.
For further information please contact Affitech AS
Dr. Ole J. Marvik, Managing Director
Tel: +47 22 95 87 58
Email: o.j.marvik@affitech.com
Web page: http://www.affitech.com
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