OVERVIEW
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
We founded Glycotope 15 years ago to make a system to optimise the sugars and to make everything fully human. Our leading technology platform is the GlycoExpress production system for producing biopharmaceuticals with optimised and fully human glycosylation structures. Octapharma is commissioning Glycotope for a series of research and development (R&D) projects which enable the technology transfer and accelerated development of certain therapeutic proteins. As well as a fully human and long-lasting product platform, Glycotope will offer process development and GMP production for clinical development. Glycotope currently employs 200 people and we need to expand our R&D force to meet the ambitious goals of Octapharma.
“ With the GlycoExpress platform, Octapharma aims to further improve the development of coagulation molecules with fully human post translational modifications specifically optimised for full functionality and lower immunogenic potential.”
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Sugars are important for determining the fate and properties of a protein molecule; however, because sugars are so complex their potency was neglected for a long time. Traditionally the biopharmaceutical industry worked with production systems which were not human, but when you attach non-human sugars on a human protein the result is suboptimal proteins.
BUSINESS REVIEW
Glycotope is a global leader in glycobiology and is developing new and proprietary biopharmaceuticals with optimised and fully human glycosylation structures as well as highly specific antibodies against glyco-epitopes on cancer cells. In October 2015, Octapharma invested €80 million to acquire an exclusive worldwide licence to certain IP of Glycotope’s recombinant technology and certain coagulation molecules, and to become a minority shareholder of Glycotope GmbH Berlin.
STRATEGIC REPORT
DR STEFFEN GOLETZ Glycotope Founder & CEO
With the GlycoExpress platform, Octapharma aims to further improve the development of coagulation molecules with fully human post translational modifications specifically optimised for full functionality and lower immunogenic potential. This is the beginning of what we are convinced will be a strong collaborative endeavour.
Octapharma Annual Report 2015
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