BioWa Inc and Medarex Inc announced that BioWa has granted a license to Medarex to use BioWa's Potelligent technology for the enhancement of Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity (ADCC). Medarex plans to use the Potelligent technology to enhance the ADCC function of selected Medarex antibodies. The license agreement provides Medarex with options for exclusive licenses. Detailed licensing terms/financial terms were not disclosed.

"The development of antibodies with superior cytotoxic potency and efficacy and thereby potentially decreased dosing and production costs is a major objective of BioWa," said Dr. Nobuo Hanai, President and CEO of BioWa. "The promise of Potelligent technology is to significantly enhance the ADCC of antibodies that may result in superior therapeutic profiles. We believe that application of our Potelligent technology to the antibody pipeline of a world leader in antibody technology like Medarex will be a major step in achieving these objectives. We are pleased to have entered this relationship with Medarex and to have the opportunity for our Potelligent technology to be combined with Medarex's human antibody technology."

"We are impressed with BioWa's Potelligent technology," said Donald L. Drakeman, President and CEO of Medarex. "We look forward to the rapid application of the Potelligent technology, which we expect will effectively increase the potency of selected UltiMAb antibodies."