ATUM�s Leap-In Transposase� Technology Supports Successful AskGene Pharma IND Clearance in China

CAMARILLO, Calif. & NEWARK, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#Biopharma–AskGene, a biotechnology company developing next-generation cytokine therapeutics, and novel bi-specific antibodies to treat cancer and other diseases, and ATUM, a California-based bioengineering company, today announced the successful Investigational New Drug (IND) filing in China for AskGene�s new antibody drug. The antibody was produced using the Leap-In Transposase^® technology pioneered by ATUM and represents the tenth successful IND clearance globally using this platform.

“We are encouraged to see how fast the Leap-In Transposase technology has been broadly accepted in the marketplace. We started licensing the platform four years ago and already see the approval of ten successful IND filings,” said Oren Beske, Ph.D., Vice President of Business and Strategy at ATUM. “AskGene Pharma was one of the earliest adopters of the Leap-In Transposase technology and we are excited to see how fast they have reached IND filing status.”

The Leap-In Transposase technology enables rapid, stable, and robust manufacturing of mammalian cell lines for the production of commercial-grade protein pharmaceuticals. The technology has been evaluated and accepted by multiple independent IND authorizing entities, including the Chinese National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“AskGene is committed to rapidly bringing safe and effective medicines to patients through the use of innovative technologies. We are very pleased to cooperate with ATUM to support us in developing the promising antibodies and next-generation cytokine therapeutics to benefit patients,” said AskGene’s CEO, Jeff Lu, Ph.D. “The exceptional genetic stability of the cell lines developed using ATUM’s Leap-in Transposase technology was an important aspect of our successful IND filing and provided an incredibly efficient solution for cell line design and manufacturing.”

For more information about the Leap-In Transposase technology, please visit www.atum.bio/pipeline/cld.

About ATUM

ATUM offers an integrated pipeline of tools including gene design, optimization and synthesis, expression vectors, and platforms for protein and cellular engineering and production. The company exploits the dependence of biological activity on well-designed sequences. ATUM’s tools and solutions are fueling the transformation of biology from a discovery science to an engineering discipline. By collaborating with our clients, ATUM accelerates breakthroughs and moves research further faster. For more information please visit: www.atum.bio.

About AskGene Pharma

AskGene (California, USA), founded in 2012 in Los Angeles, California, is pioneering the development of next generation cytokine therapeutics. It is led by an experienced team with proven track records of developing novel biologics. AskGene has established the cutting edge SmartKine® cytokine prodrug platform. The SmartKine® platform significantly improves the developability of cytokines for oncology and inflammation indications. AskGene is actively moving multiple projects into clinical and preclinical developments.

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