Memo receives up to CHF 265 million for cooperation with CSL

(CONNECT) Memo Therapeutics and CSL have entered into a research collaboration. According to a press release, this strategic collaboration also includes an exclusive option and license agreement for Memo's recombinant polyclonal IgG (recombinant polyclonal human immunoglobulin) technology. It comprises the financing of research and development work by Memo, access to its technologies and, if the option is exercised, a license fee and milestone payments for development and distribution. In total, CSL's payments to Memo could amount to up to CHF 265 million for the first product, plus a license fee in the single-digit million range.

Memo describes its core competencies as being based on its proprietary Dropzylla technology, a discovery platform for copying antibody repertoires with high-throughput screening capabilities. By retrieving and expressing antibody genes from millions of B cells at single cell resolution and maintaining heavy and light chain pairing, Dropzylla also enables the development and production of recombinant polyclonal IgG.

"IgG immunotherapies are used to treat a variety of diseases, including congenital or acquired immunodeficiencies and autoimmune diseases," Memo CEO Erik van den Berg is quoted as saying. "This collaboration with CSL is further validation of our proprietary Dropzylla technology platform and our shared goal of driving innovative IgG solutions."

Memo Therapeutics is a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and is based in the Bio-Technopark Schlieren-Zurich. ce/mm