Biotech Co.*
(Country;
Symbol)

Agbiotech Partner (Country; Symbol)

Type/Product Area

Terms/Details (Date)


Athenix Corp.*

Eden Enterprise Inc.*

Collaboration to bring traits developed by Athenix to market in corn hybrids developed by Eden

Athenix will receive multiyear research funding and downstream value share; Eden would market the corn hybrids; specific financial terms were not disclosed (11/6)

Avant Immunotherapeutics Inc. (AVAN)

U.S. Department Of Agriculture

The USDA licensed Avant's MeganEgg vaccine for use in breeding and laying hens

The vaccine was approved for protection against Salmonella bacteria; Lohmann Animal Health International will distribute the product in North America (11/20)

Eternal Technologies Group (OTC BB:ETLT)

Inner Mongolia Sairijihe Husbandry Co Ltd. and Beijing Fengrun Fine Breeding Stock Co. Ltd. (China)

Agreements to sell 6,000 sheep embryos to the Chinese firms

Eternal received $4.55M in revenue after signing the two contracts (8/4)

Exelixis Inc. (EXEL)

Dow AgroSciences LLC

Extended mechanism-of-action research collaboration that will allow the companies to continue work on elucidating the mechanism of action of herbicidal compounds based on the identification of gene targets and development of specific target-screening assays

The agreement was extended for one year; financial terms were not disclosed (8/6)

Gene Logic Inc. (GLGC)

Genetraks Pty. Ltd.* (Australia)

Service agreement under which Gene Logic will build a custom equine gene expression data resource

Genetraks will apply the technology to the diagnosis of performance animals, primarily horses; terms of the multiyear deal were not disclosed (11/10)

Greenovation Biotech* (Germany)

Dow Chemical Co.

Collaboration to develop fully mammalian-like plant glycosylation patterns

Greenovation licensed technology covering glycosylation patterns in plants, and Dow got data from Greenovation work in the area in moss; terms were not disclosed (11/19)

Helix BioMedix Inc.*

Pyxis Genomics Inc.*

Collaboration on non-antibiotic peptides under which Pyxis will screen and identify bioactive peptides from Helix's peptide library

Pyxis intends to license selected peptides and develop animal health therapeutics, including non-antibiotic feed supplements for livestock and nutraceuticals for pets; terms were not disclosed (12/12)

Large Scale Biology Corp. (LSBC)

Growers Research Group LLC*

Collaboration to research and develop a non-genetically modified organism product to control plant pests

The contract provides funding for gene expression vector development and methods of plant delivery as well as provisions for future ownership and licensing by the collaborators (8/27)

Lynx Therapeutics Inc. (LYNX)

University of Deleware

To characterize gene expression patterns in rice using Lynx's Massively Parallel Signature Sequencing technology

The four-year project is supported by a National Science Foundation grant; Lynx will receive payments for its services (11/12)

Lynx Therapeutics Inc. (LYNX)

Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. (subsidiary of Dupont)

The companies signed a new multiyear agreement to use Lynx's Massively Parallel Signature Sequencing technology in the discovery and development of new agricultural traits and products

The deal follows a five-year pact signed in 1998, both using the MPSS technology; terms were not disclosed (11/11)

Lynx Therapeutics Inc. (LYNX)

Innovative Dairy Products Pty. Ltd. (Australia)

Service agreement to study gene expression in the mammary tissue of three diverse animal systems: the Australian wallaby, the fur seal and the dairy cow

The company will use its Massively Parallel Signature Sequencing; Lynx will receive payments for the genomics discovery services it performs on samples provided by the Cooperative Research Centre for Innovative Dairy Products of Australia (7/22)

Paradigm Genetics Inc. (PDGM)

Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. (subsidiary of Dupont)

Collaboration to identify plant genes that influence important crop traits for use by Pioneer in crop variety development

Paradigm will use its high-throughput GeneFunction Factory platform to analyze genes in Arabidopsis thaliana; Paradigm said it was a three-year, multimillion-dollar deal (12/19)

Paradigm Genetics Inc. (PDGM)

Bayer CropScience

Agreement under which Bayer will test compounds validated in Paradigm's fungicide screening program

Bayer has an option to enter into an exclusive license agreement to develop the leads into fungicides; if so, Paradigm would get various payments, as well as potential milestones and royalties (11/20)

Paradigm Genetics Inc. (PDGM)

Bayer CropScience

Companies signed a two-year extension to their collaboration on herbicide discovery, which will take it through September 2006

The second extension of the deal is similar to the base deal, under which Paradigm gets research funds and success fees for assay deliveries; the collaboration started in 1998 (11/17)

Plantigen Inc.* (Canada)

Dow AgroSciences Canada Inc. (Canada)

Collaboration focused on plant-made antigens that prevent autoimmune disease in companion animals

The collaboration will build on Plantigen's intellectual property and experience in immune modulation using mammalian proteins derived from plants (7/21)

Vical Inc. (VICL)

Aqua Health Ltd. (affiliate of Novartis Animal Health Inc.)

Aqua Health got a nonexclusive license for Canada to use Vical's gene delivery technology in a vaccine targeting wild and farm-raised fish

Terms were not disclosed (10/28)


Notes:

This chart contains information on new and revised corporate agreements in agricultural biotechnology, covering the time between 6/27/03 and 12/21/03.

* Private companies are indicated with an asterisk.

Unless otherwise indicated, shares are traded on the Nasdaq exchange.

OTC BB = Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board.