First North Announcement no. 10 2007/ 27th June, 2007 Copenhagen, 27th June, 2007 Resume: The plant biotech company Aresa has published data on the expression of the Rhesus D (RhD) antibody in transiently transformed tobacco plants. Aresa publishes data on the expression of the Rhesus D (RhD) antibody in tobacco plants. As part of the explorative work within the BioPharma business area, Aresa has published data on the expression of the Rhesus D (RhD) antibody in transiently transformed tobacco plants at a plant biotech conference in Verona, Italy. Monoclonal anti Rhesus D IgG1 antibodies are used in diagnostic tests in the identification of the Rhesus D+ RhD+ blood typing. In order to investigate the potential of a transient transformation system of tobacco the human Rhesus D antibody (RhD ab) was used as a test candidate and compared to the biological activity and diagnostic usefulness of the traditionally expressed antibody in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells. The conclusions from the work are that by using a transient transformation assay in tobacco, the production and subsequent purification of the antibody can be done in less than two weeks and is a very low cost process. The functionality of recombinant expressed RhD antibody in tobacco was tested and the specificity of the antibody was found to be just as good as recombinant RhD antibody produced in CHO cells. The work was done a part of capacity building in Aresa BioPharma and as part of building experience working with new plant systems. It is not anticipated that the RhD antibody will become a future business area. The content of this press release is not expected to have impact on the result for the current fiscal year. Best regards, Jarne Elleholm CEO Aresa A/S Further information can be obtained by contacting Jarne Elleholm, CEO for Aresa A/S on +45 70227747, mobile: +45 41190136 or to the company's financial advisor HSH Gudme Corporate Finance A/S, Morten Kjærulff, Director, +45 33449431. About Aresa Aresa is a plant biotech company established in 2001 by the company's current CSO, Carsten Meier and has origins from the Institute of Molecular Biology at Copenhagen University. Aresa has developed two plant based technology platforms, BioSensor for the detection of substances in soil, hereunder evaporation of explosives from landmines; and BioPharma, a tool for the optimisation and production of antibodies and proteins in plants. Aresa was listed on the Copenhagen OMX-First North market place in 2006. Aresa is based at Symbion Science Park in Copenhagen and has greenhouse facilities in the outskirts of Copenhagen and test areas in Denmark, Croatia and now also in Bosnia Herzegovina. Aresa has 16 employees, hereof 8 within research and development and 5 within landmine operations.
Aresa publishes data on the expression of the Rhesus D (RhD) antibody in tobacco plants.
| Source: Aqualife A/S