GHENT, Belgium – Ablynx [Euronext Brussels: ABLX], a pioneer in the discovery and development of Nanobodies®, a novel class of antibody-derived therapeutic proteins, announced today two significant advances achieved with its Nanobody® platform. In the first, it has shown that anti-viral Nanobodies® give extended protection against viral infection in vivo when administered via an intrapulmonary route. In the second, Ablynx has demonstrated in vivo proof of concept for a proprietary novel half-life(*) extension technology which allows the half-life of its Nanobody®-based therapeutics to be tailored depending on the disease indication.
Pulmonary delivery of Nanobodies®
Ablynx has demonstrated that anti-viral Nanobodies® protect against signs of viral infection and presence of active virus when delivered via an intrapulmonary route. Following a single administration of the Nanobodies® via the lungs, neutralization of virus was observed for at least 72 hours.
Additionally, Ablynx has shown that Nanobodies® are suitable for systemic delivery(**) via the lungs. Their extended bioavailability is increased by a factor of five to ten times compared with intravenous administration.
Ablynx is also investigating other alternative delivery technologies for its Nanobodies® including oral to systemic delivery and needleless administration.
Novel proprietary half-life extension technology
Ablynx has access to several different methods to tailor the half-life of its Nanobodies® depending on the desired characteristics of the therapeutic drug candidate and the indication. The Company announced today that they have discovered and developed a novel proprietary half-life extension technology and demonstrated in vivo results which show considerable potential to significantly increase the half-life for its Nanobodies® in humans.
Contacts Ablynx:
Dr. Edwin Moses
Chairman and CEO
t: +32 (0)9 262 00 07
m: +44 (0)7771 954 193 / +32 (0)473 39 50 68
e: edwin.moses@ablynx.com
Eva-Lotta Allan
Chief Business Officer
t: +32 (0)9 262 00 75
m: +32 (0)475 78 36 21 / +44 (0)7990 570 900
e: eva-lotta.allan@ablynx.com
About Ablynx [Euronext Brussels: ABLX] – http://www.ablynx.com
Founded in 2001 in Ghent, Belgium, Ablynx is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of Nanobodies®, a novel class of therapeutic proteins based on single-domain antibody fragments, for a range of serious and life-threatening human diseases. The Company currently has over 200 employees. Ablynx completed a successful IPO on Euronext Brussels [ABLX] on 7 November 2007.
Ablynx is developing a portfolio of Nanobody®-based therapeutic programmes in a number of major disease areas, including inflammation, thrombosis, oncology and Alzheimer’s disease. Nanobodies® have been generated against more than 100 different disease targets. Efficacy data has been obtained in over 25 in vivo models for Nanobodies® against a range of different targets.
Ablynx has an extensive patent position in the field of Nanobodies® for healthcare applications. It has exclusive and worldwide rights to more than 50 families of granted patents and pending patent applications, including the Hamers patents covering the basic structure, composition, preparation and uses of Nanobodies®.
Ablynx has ongoing research collaborations and significant partnerships with several major pharmaceutical companies, including Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck Serono, Novartis and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Ablynx is building a diverse and broad portfolio of therapeutic Nanobodies® through these collaborations as well as through its own internal discovery programmes. The Company’s lead programme, ALX-0081, an intravenously administered novel anti-thrombotic has reached its primary endpoint in a multi-dose Phase Ib study in patients undergoing PCI and ALX-0681, also an anti-thrombotic but with a subcutaneous route of administration has started Phase I in healthy volunteers. Ablynx has progressed ALX-0141, an anti-RANKL Nanobody® for bone disorders into preclinical development. In addition, Ablynx’s partner Wyeth Pharmaceuticals has initiated a Phase I study in December 2008 for an anti-TNF alpha Nanobody®.
Nanobody® is a registered trademark of Ablynx NV.
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