PRESS RELEASES   'Mab' World Here in Oklahoma 06/06/2007 The Oklahoman (Wednesday June 6, 2007), page 11A By Michael D. Anderson, Ph. D. There's a monoclonal antibody (MAb) for every one of us in the near future. The "Mab World” is here in Oklahoma. Big Pharma is a "Johnny come lately” to the "Mab Mab world.” Thirty years ago three researchers, Cesar Milstein, Georges Koehler and Niels Jerne, were awarded the 1984 Nobel Prize in medicine for discoveries that led to revolutionary understanding of monoclonal antibodies, or Mabs. This gives humankind the power to intercept disease at the molecular and systemic level of its origins. Science to commercialization with a product on the street usually doesn't move fast, but sometimes, when it does, it moves with leaps and bounds. In the first innings, the heavy hitters in the health and drug world gave very little attention to this new science. Big Pharma, which concentrated on various drugs, usually comprised by mixing chemical compounds, has served us fairly well. Vioxx was a hit and miss, but those statins lowering lipid levels have saved life and prolonged the quality of life for millions. When one is succeeding, i.e., making big money, one is less enthralled with innovative ideas. Big Pharma didn't see the biotech revolution coming. Now, there is a paradigm shift in making drugs. Rather than mixing powders, the new order of drugs re-engineer's living cells at the molecular level. These molecules can be re-engineered to attach themselves to viruses, bacteria and other invaders of the body such as cancer cells. Using living cells, programmed to target disease at the molecular level, is the essence of the biotech revolution in medicine. Twenty-one antibody-based drugs have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 12 in the past 60 months. These new bio-pharmaceuticals are effective in fighting many of our most deadly diseases, including some forms of cancer. Barbara Yanni, licensing chief of Merck, spoke at Bio2007 in Boston, attended by 75 of us from Oklahoma. She admitted that the Big Pharma team missed the start of the biotech ball game, but they are playing catch-up as fast as they can, which means as fast as they can buy their way into the biotech arena. Amgen bought Abgenix for $2.2 billion in December 2005; AstraZeneca bought Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT) for $1.3 billion in 2006, and, this year AstraZeneca bought MedImmune Inc. for $15 billion. The Mab Mab world is here in Oklahoma, at the Presbyterian Health Foundation Research Park. Several of our science companies are involved in basic research and development of monoclonal antibodies and therapeutic proteins. More specifically, Cytovance Biologics is the manufacturer of these living cell products under contract with companies across the country. On Thursday, Dr. Brad Johnson will bring a Cytovance Biologics educational Webcast to a worldwide scientific audience. This online semiar will have scientists and technicians clicking onto the discussion of "Downstream Process Development of Monoclonal Antibodies and Therapeutic Proteins: Strategies to Reduce Protein Aggregation.” Mentioning this here is to illustrate a point: Researchers in Oklahoma and our science-based research companies are significantly involved the "Mab Mab World” in order to benefit your health and life. Anderson is president of Presbyterian Health Foundation.