On June 2, 2021 GenScript Biotech Corporation (HKG: 1548) along with its subsidiary, GenScript ProBio, and Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ: LGND) reported that they have entered into a strategic licensing agreement for Ligand’s OmniAb Platform, a multi-species antibody discovery platform, to generate highly diversified, fully human antibodies that are optimized in vivo for immunogenicity, manufacturability and efficacy (Press release, Ligand, JUN 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234583384]). Under terms of the agreement, GenScript is now able to offer its global customers access to the OmniAb rodent platforms for high-quality, rapid, fully human antibody discovery services.
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"We are excited to enter into this new relationship with Ligand, which has one of the best antibody discovery platforms in the world," said Brian Min, Ph.D., CEO of GenScript ProBio. "GenScript is committed to helping our customers expand their pipelines of innovative antibody products and advance their biological drugs to market more quickly. We believe that our deep experience in antibody discovery services combined with Ligand’s premier transgenic antibody discovery platform will accomplish those goals and ultimately bring better treatment options to patients."
GenScript ProBio, already a qualified OmniAb contract research organization (CRO) for antibody discovery services, is now the second contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) in China to secure a global license to the transgenic rodent technology of the OmniAb platform. With more than 16 years of experience in custom antibody services for various targets, GenScript ProBio provides a range of immunization methods. By combining a single B cell screening platform with transgenic rodent platforms, GenScript ProBio is capable of generating fully human therapeutic antibodies in one month, thereby significantly accelerating research and development.
"Our OmniAb technology stack provides industry partners with access to the most advanced antibody repertoires and state-of-the-art screening technologies to enable efficient discovery of next-generation novel therapeutics. At the heart of OmniAb is the Biological Intelligence of our proprietary and validated transgenic animals, which we are pleased to leverage in expanding our relationship with GenScript from a qualified services provider for those with access to OmniAb to a licensed partner," said John Higgins, CEO of Ligand Pharmaceuticals. "The OmniAb platform continues to be validated by the clinical progress of our license partners with recent late-stage successes and two regulatory approvals expected this year. To support the bright future we envision for our OmniAb platform, Ligand is expanding our team and capabilities within our integrated antibody discovery operations through internal investments in technology development, bolt-on acquisitions and partnering."
About the OmniAb Platform Technology Stack
The OmniAb antibody discovery platform provides Ligand’s biopharmaceutical industry partners access to the world’s most advanced antibody repertoires and screening technologies to enable unparalleled discovery of next-generation therapeutics. At the heart of the OmniAb platform is the Biological Intelligence (BI) of our proprietary transgenic animals, including OmniRat, OmniChicken and OmniMouse, each capable of generating high quality fully human antibodies that have been optimized naturally through in vivo affinity maturation. OmniFlic (transgenic rat) and OmniClic (transgenic chicken) address industry needs for bispecific antibody applications through a common light chain approach, and OmniTaur features unique structural attributes of cow antibodies for complex targets. OmniAb animals comprise the most diverse host systems available in the industry and can be optimally leveraged through AI-enhanced antigen design and immunization methods, paired with high-throughput microfluidic-based single B cell screening and deep computational analysis of next-generation sequencing datasets to identify fully human antibodies with superior performance and developability characteristics. The OmniAb suite of technologies and differentiating AI and BI features are combined to offer a highly efficient and customizable end-to-end solution for the growing antibody discovery needs of the global biopharmaceutical industry.