Cologne, Germany
September 19, 2001

MPB Cologne GmbH, the Molecular Farming company based in Cologne, Germany, has filed opposition to the plantibody patent (EP 497 904) at the European Patent Office. The patent family, including the US patents, filed in 1989 by Scripps Clinic and exclusively licensed to Epicyte Pharmaceutical, Inc., covers the production of glycosylated antibodies composed of two polypeptide chains in plants. Dr. Klaus Düring, President & CEO of MPB Cologne, said: "There is plenty of scientific literature, including my own Ph.D. thesis of 1988, which constitutes prior art to the plantibody patent granted in Europe eventually in December 2000."

Klaus Düring was first in 1988 to describe successful expression of a monoclonal antibody in transgenic tobacco. He completed this work during his time with Prof. Jeff Schell at the Max-Planck-Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne. The Scripps´ patent describes essentially the same technology. Düring´s basic research work was successfully replicated by many scientists worldwide, including the Scripps´ scientists. The number of therapeutic antibodies recently has increased strongly. As a consequence, antibody production suffers from a severe shortage in fermentation capacity. Production of antibodies in plants has become a viable alternative to mammalian cell fermentation. Molecular Farming using MPB Cologne´s Industrial Tuber™ technology provides an excellent opportunity to resolve these production constraints.
Hundreds of kilograms or even tons of antibodies can be produced with much lower financial investment and at lower cost-of-goods.

MPB Cologne develops and produces novel proteins as materials and active agents by Molecular Farming in genetically optimized potato tubers for industry customers and partners. The Industrial Tuber™ is used as a plant bioreactor for economical large-scale production with highest biosafety and quality standards.

Company news release
mpb8