BioWa, NKT Therapeutics sign licensing agreement

BioWa, Inc. (BioWa) and NKT Therapeutics, Inc. (NKTT), announced today that they have entered into an agreement which provides NKTT with access to BioWa's patented POTELLIGENT(®) Technology platform for the development of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) enhanced antibodies.

The agreement grants NKTT non-exclusive rights to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize antibodies targeting natural killer T (NKT) cells that incorporate BioWa technology. NKT cells are a rare but central component of the human immune system, which play a pivotal role in human health and disease. In return, BioWa will receive an upfront payment, development milestone payments and royalties on products. Other details of the agreement are not disclosed.

"We are excited that we have been able to partner with a small venture backed company like NKT Therapeutics. In large part, our decision to partner with NKTT was driven by our interest in NKTT's cell biology and exciting product programs," said Dr. Masamichi Koike, President and CEO of BioWa. "We were able to reach an arrangement that works for a small company like NKTT."

"We believe that the collaboration with BioWa, Inc. will accelerate our development activities in therapeutic antibodies targeting NKT cells, a field that is expected to be a potentially important source of new medicines to satisfy unmet medical needs," said Robert Mashal, M.D., President and CEO of NKTT. "We are pleased with BioWa's flexibility to adapt its normal business terms to make this collaboration possible."