BioWa Licenses POTELLIGENT(TM) Technology to Genentech for Use in Antibody Development

BioWa Licenses POTELLIGENT(TM) Technology to Genentech for Use in Antibody Development

March 24, 2006

    PRINCETON, N.J., March 24 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- BioWa,
Inc. announced today that it licensed to Genentech, Inc.
(NYSE: DNA) its POTELLIGENT(TM) technology for use in
researching and developing select Genentech antibodies for
potential therapeutic applications that may include
enhancement of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity
(ADCC). 

    "Genentech is an unparalleled market leader in the
field of antibody therapeutics," said Dr. Nobuo Hanai,
BioWa President and CEO. "We believe this is an
important opportunity to aid the development of more
effective targeted treatments for cancer and other
life-threatening and debilitating diseases."

    Under the terms of the agreement, BioWa will provide
Genentech with exclusive commercial rights to use the
technology for multiple antibodies.   In return, BioWa will
receive technology access fees, and may receive milestone
payments and royalties in the event that products are
developed by Genentech. Additional terms were not
disclosed.

    About POTELLIGENT(TM) Technology 

    ADCC activity is an important function of the human
immune system, whereby immune cells can kill target cells,
e.g. cancer cells.  Several anti-cancer therapeutic
antibodies that are on the market today have ADCC activity
as one of their mechanisms for the killing of tumor cells.
Enhancement of this activity is one promising approach in
the next generation of antibody technologies. 

    POTELLIGENT(TM) technology involves the reduction of
the amount of fucose in the carbohydrate structure of an
antibody using a proprietary fucosyltransferase-knockout
CHO cell line as a production cell.  Research shows that
POTELLIGENT(TM) technology significantly enhances ADCC
activity of an antibody in vitro, thereby increasing the
potential for improved activity in vivo. 

    About BioWa, Inc.

    BioWa is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyowa Hakko Kogyo
Co., Ltd., Japan's leading pharmaceutical and largest
biotech company, and is the exclusive worldwide licensor of
POTELLIGENT(TM) technology, which creates high ADCC
monoclonal antibodies.  Currently, BioWa is developing ADCC
enhanced monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics to fight
cancer and other life-threatening and debilitating diseases
and both BioWa and Kyowa have POTELLIGENT(TM) antibody
products in various clinical stages.  BioWa creates and
develops enhanced ADCC antibodies for itself and others,
offering a full range of antibody discovery and development
capabilities.  For more information about BioWa, visit its
web site at http://www.biowa.com.

    POTELLIGENT(TM) is the trademark of Kyowa Hakko Kogyo
Co., Ltd.  All rights are reserved.

    For more information, please contact:

     Nobuo Hanai, Ph.D.
     President & CEO of Biowa, Inc.
     Tel:   [phone] x7501

     Martina Molsbergen
     Business Development
     Tel:   [phone] x7506

SOURCE  BioWa, Inc.