GTC Biotherapeutics achieves high-level production of TG20 monoclonal antibody

Mar 2 2010

GTC Biotherapeutics, Inc. (“GTC”, NASDAQ: GTCB) announced that it has achieved high-level production of TG20; an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (MAb). The TG20 MAb, which is produced in the milk of transgenic goats, is being co-developed by GTC and LFB as part of the LFB-GTC joint venture. TG20 has enhanced antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), a key feature useful in the treatment of cancer and auto-immune diseases, and it has been shown to have 10-fold enhanced ADCC when compared side by side with rituximab in assays performed with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or B-CLL, patient cancer cell isolates.

“Furthermore, this is a critical milestone in our development of TG20, an antibody that has the potential of providing more efficacious and cost-effective treatments for cancers such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma as well as auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis”

“This result is an important demonstration of the ability of GTC’s transgenic technology platform to produce monoclonal antibodies with significantly enhanced ADCC”, said Geoffrey Cox, Ph.D., Chairman, President and CEO of GTC Biotherapeutics. “Furthermore, this is a critical milestone in our development of TG20, an antibody that has the potential of providing more efficacious and cost-effective treatments for cancers such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma as well as auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis”.