Japan
Mar 21, 2011
Dako and Epitomics enter into strategic alliance on developing and launching state-of-the-art IHC diagnostic monoclonal antibodies
Dako Denmark A/S and the Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody Company, Epitomics, Inc., announced today that they have entered into a collaboration which will allow the companies to unite competencies to provide the Anatomic Pathology market with state-of-the-art antibodies.
“Dako is on a mission to fight cancer. We are therefore very pleased to announce this strategic alliance that will combine the competencies of Dako and Epitomics to establish the optimal portfolio of very high quality rabbit monoclonal antibodies to be used in diagnosing cancer and in developing predictive assays to the benefit of cancer patients all over the world,” says Lars Holmkvist, CEO of Dako Denmark A/S.
“The strategic alliance with Dako is an important endorsement of RabMAbs in the field of immunohistochemistry (IHC) for anatomic pathology - a rapidly growing market. In recent years Epitomics has accumulated a collection of companion diagnostics antibodies in the field of pathology. This alliance will take us to the next level,” says Dr. Guo-Liang Yu, President and CEO of Epitomics, Inc.
Dako’s expertise within the field of human cancer diagnostics, including development of new diagnostic antibodies relevant in identifying, differentiating and characterizing tumors, and Epitomics’ exclusive intellectual property rights and expertise within development and production of rabbit monoclonal antibodies are the key ingredients to future development of routine diagnostics, prognostics and predictive immunohistochemical assays, also known as companion diagnostics or PharmacoDiagnostics (PharmDxTM).
“The exploitation of Dako’s market-leading approach in supplying automated system solutions within diagnostic immunohistochemistry, and Epitomics’ technical superiority within generation of rabbit monoclonal antibodies will bring new and previously unseen high-quality diagnostic tools to the routine pathology community,” says Lars Holmkvist.
Besides the development and launch of new state-of-the-art monoclonal antibodies the strategic alliance between Dako and Epitomics also includes a technology transfer from Epitomic’s to Dako’s facilities.
The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
About Dako
Dako, based in Denmark, is a global leader in tissue-based cancer diagnostics. Hospital and research laboratories worldwide use Dako’s know-how, reagents, instruments and software to make precise diagnoses and determine the most effective treatment for patients suffering from cancer. Employing more than 1,000 people and being present in more than 80 countries, Dako covers essentially all of the anatomic pathology markets globally. Dako is owned by a private equity fund, EQT. www.dako.com
About Epitomics
Epitomics, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company, is dedicated to developing breakthrough monoclonal antibody technology for research, diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The company utilizes a unique and proprietary RabMAb® (Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody) technology which produces antibodies with superior binding affinity and bioactivity in a wide variety of biological assays. Epitomics, Inc. is headquartered in Burlingame, California, and operates a wholly owned subsidiary in Hangzhou, the People's Republic of China. www.epitomics.com
Media contacts
Dako Denmark A/S
Maia Fredtoft Søchting
+45 25 46 10 83
Epitomics, Inc.
Abe Couse
+1 650-583-6688