GenPharm International

GenPharm International was a pioneering biotechnology company founded in 1988, specializing in the development of transgenic mice for the production of fully human monoclonal antibodies. The company's core technology, the HuMAb-Mouse, involved inactivating endogenous mouse antibody genes and replacing them with human antibody gene loci. This breakthrough allowed for the direct generation of high-affinity human antibodies, bypassing the need for humanization of murine antibodies. In 1997, GenPharm was acquired by Medarex for approximately $65 million, a move that consolidated the leading transgenic antibody platforms of the time. The technology eventually became part of Bristol Myers Squibb following its acquisition of Medarex in 2009. GenPharm's innovations laid the groundwork for numerous successful therapeutic antibodies currently on the market.