Biolex, Inc., a privately held protein therapeutics company, has entered a broad-based, multi-levelled strategic alliance with Centocor, Inc., a leading biopharmaceutical company, to manufacture selected proteins using the Biolex LEX System.

The alliance will leverage certain key product candidates in Centocor's therapeutic protein pipeline, using Biolex' innovative method to economically and rapidly both develop and scale-up these proteins. Under the terms of the agreement, Biolex will advance up to ten Centocor proteins in its patented LEX System.

Upon the commencement of the alliance, Biolex received an upfront payment for access to the LEX System. In addition, Centocor will provide Biolex funding over three years to support scaling-up certain key aspects of the LEX System.

For each of the up to ten therapeutic proteins developed under the alliance, Biolex will receive milestone payments related to the successful clinical advancement and regulatory approval, as well as supply fees for GMP materials. Biolex will also receive royalties on the sales of any products developed under the alliance, the release stated.

Jan Turek, President and CEO of Biolex said, "The magnitude of this alliance marks a major achievement for Biolex. We believe this alliance is ground breaking and unprecedented in the alternative expression system space, and we look forward to working closely with Centocor to advance these products as rapidly as possible."

Biolex began its initial collaboration with Centocor in May 2003. Biolex has scaled-up two Centocor antibodies in the LEX System for pre-clinical testing under subsequent expansions of the original collaboration.

Biolex is developing recombinant human therapeutic proteins that, until now, have been impossible or very expensive to develop in existing expression systems. Biolex' proprietary LEX System has demonstrated speed, regulatory and economic benefits with hard-to-make proteins and monoclonal antibodies.