Originally doing business as Ixsys was established with a worldwide exclusive license from the University of California, San Diego, to technology for producing antigen-specific MAbs, Applied Molecular was primarily using its technologies to develop improved versions of marketed drugs, is engaged in the application of directed evolution to the development of biotherapeutics. Directed evolution is a process for optimizing genes and proteins for specific commercial purposes. The Company uses its proprietary AME system technology to rapidly create protein improvements, which would be too inefficient and expensive to achieve through conventional methods. Using its directed evolution technology to develop improved versions of marketed, FDA-approved biopharmaceuticals, as well as novel human biotherapeutics, the components of the AMEsystem, DirectAME, ExpressAME and SelectAME, are designed to be precise and efficient methods for conducting the three fundamental steps of directed evolution and address the limitations of alternative directed-evolution approaches. Having several times worked with AME, in 2003, Eli Lilly acquired the firm
