Hematech Licenses BAC Ligand for Production of IgG in Cows

BAC BV, the Bio Affinity Company (Naarden, The Netherlands), has entered into a license and supply agreement with Hematech, Inc. (Sioux Falls, SD), a subsidiary of Kirin Pharma, that specializes in the production of human antibodies in transgenic cows. The license covers the use of a custom designed bovine IgG scavenging ligand, previously developed by BAC for Hematech. GE Healthcare (St. Giles, UK) will immobilize the BAC ligand on chromatographic media, which Hematech will use in the production of polyclonal human IgG from its transgenic cow platform.

BAC’s CaptureSelect ligand technology has applications in a wide range of affinity processes, from the purification of monoclonal antibodies and viruses, to plasma proteins. In addition to using the custom-designed scavenging ligands in their production process, Hematech will also incorporate IgSelect, an off-the-shelf GE Healthcare product that features BAC’s CaptureSelect IgG ligand.

BAC ’s CaptureSelect ligand technology is based on unique Camelid single-chain antibody fragments, which can be selected for desirable chromatographic characteristics and produced at high-titers in a proprietary S. cerevisiae strain.