Singapore: Australia-based Medvet science has licensed a cell line from ACTYE biotech to manufacture its monoclonal cancer antibody APOMAB. ACYTE's XL-99 Chinese hamster ovary cell line will be used to produce APOMAB in the quantities potentially required for clinical applications.

The antibody will help in diagnosis and treatment of cancers. Its target is La/SSB, an essential ribonucleoprotein component found in all cancers. Medvet is currently undertaking clinical proof-of-concept development of APOMAB at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. The hospital's head of cancer clinical trials, Professor Michael Brown, is guiding the development.

"For clinical efficacy studies of APOMAB, and potential commercial production, we require a cell line capable of producing clinically viable amounts of the antibody, with high cell density at low cost of goods and with ACYTE we can achieve a productive cell line." Mr Brown commented.