“Creating rats expressing human antibodies was the final milestone in the development of OMT’s platform,” said founder and CEO Dr. Roland Buelow, at the IBC Annual Antibody Engineering Conference in San Diego. “Expression of a human antibody repertoire in genetically engineered animals requires two steps: the inactivation of endogenous rat antibody expression and the introduction of functional immunoglobulin loci enabling generation of a diversified human antibody repertoire. With these milestones behind us, OMT can begin developing antibody therapeutics.”
OMT, in collaboration with Marianne Bruggemann and scientists at Recombinant Antibody Technology, Ltd., used artificial chromosome technology to generate immunoglobulin loci encoding human antibodies. These recombinant gene loci were introduced into the rat genome using traditional transgenesis technology. Although human antibodies have been expressed in mice and cows, OMT had to develop new technologies to work with the rat. OMT’s new platform is the result of an improved understanding of B-cell development and a novel approach to the inactivation of endogenous antibody expression.
Up to now, the mouse was the only genetically engineered animal commercially available for the generation of human monoclonal antibodies, and many targets are licensed already. In contrast, OMT has broad freedom to operate. It uses new technology protected by patents, which gives OMT unrestricted development options.
About Open Monoclonal Technology, Inc.:
Open Monoclonal Technology, Inc. (“OMT”) is a private biotechnology company with a new, fully human monoclonal antibody platform based on transgenic rats. The rat is a widely used laboratory animal with a well characterized immune system, a nearly complete genome sequence, and established transgenesis and hybridoma technologies. OMT’s antibody platform results from an improved understanding of B-cell development and a novel approach to the inactivation of endogenous antibody expression. OMT is financed by Essex Woodlands Health Ventures.
Contacts
Open Monoclonal Technology, Inc. Dr. Roland Buelow, 650-224-6835 rbuelow@omtinc.net www.omtinc.net
Source: Open Monoclonal Technology, Inc.
