Re Agreement
Cambridge Antibody Tech Group PLC
26 November 2001
01/CAT/23
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
07.00 GMT, 02.00 EST Monday 26 November 2001
For Further Information Contact:
Cambridge Antibody Technology Weber Shandwick Square Mile
(Europe)
Tel: +44 (0) 1763 263 233
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7601 1000
David Chiswell, CEO
Kevin Smith
John Aston, Finance Director
Graham Herring
Rowena Gardner, Head of Corporate
Communications
Lonza Group BMC Communications/The Trout Group
(USA)
Dr. Walter Eschenmoser
Communications/Investor Relations Tel: 001 212 477 9007
Tel: +41 61 316 8363
Fax: + 41 61 316 82 20 Brad Miles, ext 17 (media)
Brandon Lewis, ext.15 (investors)
CAMBRIDGE ANTIBODY TECHNOLOGY AND LONZA BIOLOGICS
ANNOUNCE LONG TERM SUPPLY AGREEMENT
Melbourn, UK and Slough, UK... Cambridge Antibody Technology (LSE: CAT;
NASDAQ: CATG) and Lonza Biologics) today announce that they have signed a long
term agreement for Lonza Biologics to manufacture and supply clinical grade
antibody drugs to CAT for up to five years.
The agreement, which is effective immediately, builds on the existing close
relationship between the companies and will guarantee that CAT has access to
manufacturing capacity for both ongoing programmes and future projects.
Dr. David Chiswell, CAT's CEO, commented 'We are aware of some concern within
the industry about manufacturing capacity. This agreement between CAT and
Lonza Biologics ensures that CAT's programmes will not be affected by supply
problems, providing CAT, and its current and future partners, with a reliable
supply of its antibodies, initially for clinical trials and potentially for
commercial-scale supply. CAT has considerable expertise in process
intensification and has worked with Lonza Biologics to further develop and
refine efficient manufacturing processes to be used at production scale. We
believe that in planning for the future and reaching a commitment with Lonza
Biologics in this way, we have chosen the best and most cost-effective way
forward for CAT.'
Mr Larry Thomas, Vice-President Sales and Marketing of Lonza Biologics added
'CAT is a long standing customer of Lonza Biologics. We are pleased that our
existing relationship will be strengthened further by this long term
agreement.'
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors:
Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT)
CAT is a UK biotechnology company using its proprietary technologies in human
monoclonal antibodies for drug discovery and drug development. Based near
Cambridge, England, CAT currently employs around 250 people.
CAT is listed on the London Stock Exchange and on NASDAQ since June 2001. CAT
raised £41m in its IPO in March 1997 and £93m in a secondary offering in March
2000.
CAT has an advanced platform technology for rapidly isolating human monoclonal
antibodies using phage display systems. CAT has extensive phage antibody
libraries, currently incorporating more than 100 billion distinct antibodies.
These libraries form the basis for the Company's strategy to develop a
portfolio of antibody-based drugs and to utilise antibodies as tools for
target validation. Six human therapeutic antibodies developed by CAT are at
various stages of clinical trials.
CAT has alliances with a large number of biotechnology and pharmaceutical
companies to discover develop and commercialise human monoclonal
antibody-based products. CAT has also licensed its proprietary human phage
antibody libraries to several companies for target validation and drug
discovery. CAT's partners include: Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Abbott , Genetics
Institute, Wyeth-Ayerst, Human Genome Sciences, Pharmacia, Oxford
GlycoSciences, Genzyme, Immunex, Zyomyx, Elan, Merck & Co and Xerion.
Lonza Biologics
Is part of Lonza Group a Life Sciences driven chemical company headquartered
in Switzerland, with sales of CHF 1.7 billion in 2000 and operating 13
facilities in 6 countries. It employs 4700 people worldwide and is the leading
supplier of active chemical ingredients, intermediates and biotechnology
solutions to the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. It also offers a
broad catalogue of organic intermediates for a wide range of applications such
as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, vitamins, food and feedstuff, dyes and
pigments, adhesives and fragrances. Furthermore the Group manufactures
specialty biocides and oleochemicals.
Lonza Biologics is the world's leader in contract development and production
of therapeutic antibodies and proteins.
Lonza Biologics undertakes highly specialized services for the pharmaceutical
and biotechnology industries based on its nearly 20 years of experience in
mammalian cell culture and on proprietary technology for the large-scale
manufacturing of innovative pharmaceutical products.
With headquarters in the United Kingdom, Lonza Biologics operates cGMP
multi-product manufacturing facilities in Slough, United Kingdom and
Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information on Lonza Biologics, visit the
company's website at www.lonzagroup.com.
Application of the Safe Harbor of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995: This press release contains statements about Cambridge Antibody
Technology Group plc ('CAT') that are forward looking statements. All
statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press
release may be forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
These forward looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding
CAT's present and future business strategies and the environment in which CAT
will operate in the future. Certain factors that could cause CAT's actual
results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the
forward looking statements include: market conditions, CAT's ability to enter
into and maintain collaborative arrangements, success of product candidates in
clinical trials, regulatory developments and competition.