PIERIS Proteolab and TU Munich to research Anticalins
Biopharmaceutical company PIERIS Proteolab, of Freising in Germany, and the Technical University of Munich (TU Munich) have entered into a strategic alliance to carry out further research into lipocalins and Anticalins.
Biopharmaceutical company PIERIS Proteolab, of Freising in Germany, and the Technical University of Munich (TU Munich) have entered into a strategic alliance to carry out further research into lipocalins and Anticalins.
Anticalins represent a new class of engineered proteins based on the lipocalin scaffold and offer an alternative to antibodies. The Anticalin technology was invented by Professor Arne Skerra, head of biological chemistry at the TU Munich and also co-founder of PIERIS.
PIERIS has been assigned two TU Munich pat-ents, one of which refers to a human lipocalin scaffold. Future inventions in line with the research and collaboration agreement will either be licensed exclusively to PIERIS or in some cases assigned to PIERIS. Apart from research support, TU Munich will receive milestone payments and royalties.
'This collaboration will enhance the breadth of applications of the existing human Theracalin library which currently encompasses more than 10bn Anticalins, especially in the area of therapeutic applications,' said Dr Steffen Schlehuber, cso of PIERIS.