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Open Monoclonal Technology, Inc. ("OMT")
OMT is a private biotechnology company with a new, fully human monoclonal antibody (mAb) platform based on transgenic rats. Antibodies are an important class of pharmaceutical products due to breakthroughs that have made them more human-like and eliminated unwanted side effects. The rat is a widely used laboratory animal with a well characterized immune system, a nearly complete genome sequence, and established transgenesis and hybridoma technologies.
Previously, genetically engineered mice were the only animals used for human antibody platforms. The mouse can be expensive to license and pre-existing intellectual property can restrict development options. With therapeutic antibody sales expected to exceed $50 billion by 2013, OMT's unencumbered, human antibody platform offers unparalleled development opportunities.
OMT's founder, Dr. Roland Buelow, and his scientific team led by Dr. Marianne Brüggemann have more than fifty years accumulated experience in biotechnology, particularly with transgenic animals that produce human antibodies. The team holds numerous patents. Dr. Buelow was previously a founder of Therapeutic Human Polyclonals, Inc., which developed genetically engineered rabbits expressing human antibodies and was acquired by Roche in 2007.
OMT is funded by Essex Woodlands Health Ventures, one the largest and most respected healthcare venture companies.
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