ProBioGen AG, a leading specialist for contract development and manufacturing of complex glycoproteins, and Zymeworks Inc., a world-leading antibody therapeutics development company,  jointly announced signing an agreement under which ProBioGen will complete cell line development of a Zymeworks bi-specific antibody product candidate, applying its GlymaxX Technology to enhance antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC).

ProBioGen’s CSO, Dr. Volker Sandig, commented, “We have been working productively with Zymeworks for some time already and look forward to contributing to the success of Zymeworks’ Azymetric bi-specific antibody platform. Our proprietary CHO expression platform is ideally suited for the expression of bi-specific antibodies with high purities and expression titers. The implementation of our innovative GlymaxX technology for enhanced cancer cell killing underlines the flexibility of our expression platforms’ tool box approach.”

Dr. Ali Tehrani, Zymeworks’ president and CEO said, “We believe that biotherapeutics developed using the Azymetric platform have the potential to create game-changing treatment options for patients with unmet medical needs. Our productive partnership with ProBioGen and their highly skilled team will help advance one of Zymeworks’ therapeutic programs into the clinic. The incorporation of the GlymaxX technology is one of the key components in enhancing the efficacy of this therapeutic candidate."

ProBioGen’s CEO, Dr. Wieland Wolf, added, “We are very pleased to work with Zymeworks as a biopharmaceutical company with world-wide recognition for their innovative and potentially life-changing therapeutic candidates. Given our established working relationship, we are confident that together we will help move highly efficacious bi-specific antibody therapeutics towards clinical validation.”