Nanobody knows…

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GHENT, Belgium—Targeting a variety of therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology, and respiratory, biopharmaceutical company Ablynx announced a global strategic alliance with Boehringer Ingelheim to discover, develop, and commercialize up to ten Nanobody therapeutics. The collaboration will see Ablynx receive €75 million, which includes a €15-million equity investment, and the potential to receive up to €125 million per Nanobody in milestone payments, as well as undisclosed royalties.

"This is by far the largest financial agreement that Ablynx has signed to discover and develop innovative Nanobody therapeutics," says Dr. Edwin Moses, Ablynx CSO and chair. "We are delighted to strengthen our existing relationship with Boehringer Ingelheim by working together to develop innovative products across multiple therapeutic areas, taking full advantage of the powerful Nanobody discovery platform."

Essentially comprised of an antibody fragment, Nanobodies offer researchers the binding affinity and specificity of antibodies, with the small size, stability, and pharmacokinetics of small molecules. As such, they fit within the growing market for immunotherapeutics, which for cancer treatment alone could reach $42 billion by 2011, according to a recent report by Kalorama Information.