Basel, Switzerland and Münster, Germany, 22 October 2009 – Lonza announced today that it has signed an investment agreement, including a right of first refusal for the commercial production of products, with Cilian AG.
The collaboration with Cilian provides access to a prospective technology platform for innovative applications in the nutrition and biopharmaceutical area.
Cilian AG is a small innovative biotechnology company which uses the abilities of ciliates, eukaryotic single-cell micro-organisms (specifically the strain Tetrahymena thermophila), for the production of therapeutic proteins and nutritional ingredients.
Lonza owns a number of patents and patent applications in the field of Tetrahymena thermophila and will transfer these patents and patent applications to Cilian. In return Lonza will acquire newly issued shares in Cilian AG together with the right of first refusal for the commercial production of products developed by Cilian based on the patent portfolio of Lonza.
Remco M. Brandt, CEO of Cilian AG, said: “We are extremely pleased with the participation of Lonza in Cilian. Their input allows us to leverage the value of Cilian by building our own product pipeline using the unique Ciliate production platform”.
“We believe that Cilian’s production platform for enzymes, antibodies and other proteins has the potential to provide attractive innovations in the nutrition and biopharmaceutical area”, says Thomas Kiy, Global Head Strategic Business Development of Lonza Life Science Ingredients.
Dr. Thomas Kiy will join the Scientific Advisory Board of Cilian AG.