KIRIN ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WITH MEDAREX
Tokyo, Japan, January 11, 2000 - Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd. announced today the formation of a strategic alliance with Medarex Inc. to produce mice capable of producing human antibodies and to market these mice globally. The two firms will jointly utilize technologies and intellectual properties each has created regarding mice capable of producing human antibodies and will develop and market them globally. Kirin will predominantly concentrate on the Asian market while Medarex will focus on rest of the world.
Kirin has developed a proprietary technology to introduce human chromosome fragments carrying human antibody loci into mice, termed TC Mouse™ which it has been using for research and development of human antibodies. Medarex has conducted research and development of mice capable of producing human antibodies. It currently has contracts with more than ten partners in developing human antibodies using these mice.
Kirin and Medarex aim to develop human antibody pharmaceuticals and introduce new technologies in this field.
Dr. Koichiro Aramaki, President of Kirin's Pharmaceutical Division, said "We believe that the partnership with Medarex will accelerate Kirin’s human antibody business, both in internally and with outside partnerships, because we see Medarex as the leading company in the use of transgenic mice for the creation of fully human monoclonal antibodies."
Antibody pharmaceuticals currently under research are aimed to be efficient therapies against cancer, transplantation immunology and infectious diseases. In the United States, more than eight monoclonal antibodies have been approved as pharmaceuticals and are in use by many physicians.
Certain statements in this press release consist of forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, uncertainties regarding the development of new technology and new clinical products. Actual results, events or performance may differ materially.
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