ABLYNX SELECTS A NOVEL PRE-CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT CANDIDATE FOR ADMINISTRATION VIA PULMONARY DELIVERY
GHENT, Belgium, 26 March 2010 - Ablynx [Euronext Brussels: ABLX] announced today
that it has advanced ALX-0171, a new Nanobody®-based therapeutic programme, into
pre-clinical development for the treatment of respiratory synctial virus (RSV)
infections. ALX-0171 is a Nanobody product which binds to RSV and neutralizes
the virus. The Nanobody will be administered via the lungs and based on the in
vivo data it has the potential to be effective both in the prevention of
infection as well as in treatment once infection has occurred.
This is Ablynx's first Nanobody pre-clinical development candidate to be
delivered through a route other than injection. Like many Nanobodies, ALX-0171
is very stable with a low propensity to aggregate making it suitable for
inhalation. It can also be manufactured at relatively low cost in microbial
systems.
"Ablynx's anti-RSV Nanobody potentially has a clearly differentiated product
profile compared with other options currently available for RSV. We expect to
conveniently deliver ALX-0171 via the lungs directly to the site of potential
disease to provide prophylactic protection, as well as therapeutic treatment
which we don't believe can be offered for this infectious agent by any other
marketed drugs today. We also believe ALX-0171 will have a significantly lower
cost of goods compared to other biologics currently used in this indication. We
are very pleased to illustrate the power of our Nanobody product engine with
this announcement of our second pre-clinical candidate nomination in 2010.
Earlier this year we nominated ALX-0651, an anti-CXCR4 Nanobody for stem cell
mobilization, for preclinical development", commented Dr. Edwin Moses, Chief
Executive Officer and Chairman of Ablynx.
-ends-
For more information, please contact 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
[HUG#1397942]
Complete version of the press release: http://hugin.info/137912/R/1397942/353717.pdf