Ablynx and Boehringer Ingelheim sign agreement to develop new Alzheimer's treatments

German pharma company Boehringer Ingelheim and Ablynx, the Belgium-based pioneer in the discovery and development of Nanobodies have entered into an exclusive worldwide collaboration and licence agreement worth almost US$265m to discover and develop new therapies for Alzheimer's disease using Ablynx's Nanobodies, a novel class of therapeutic proteins.

In addition, Boehringer Ingelheim will commence a joint research programme including Ablynx scientists. Boehringer Ingelheim will be solely responsible for the development, manufacture and commercialisation of any products resulting from the collaboration. The deal includes an upfront fee, development and commercial milestones. Ablynx will also receive undisclosed royalties based on net sales.

Ablynx' Nanobodies could be particularly important in developing new Alzheimer's disease treatments, as their special characteristics mean they may cross the blood-brain barrier more readily than conventional antibodies.

Nanobody-based therapeutics combine the beneficial features of conventional antibodies with desirable properties of small-molecule drugs. Because they are derived from naturally-occurring heavy-chain antibodies, Nanobodies have unparalleled stability and can be administered in a variety of ways (injected, orally, in sprays or creams), thus overcoming the delivery issues associated with full-sized antibodies, that can only be delivered by injection.

In addition, because of their unique structure they can also address therapeutic opportunities that are beyond the reach of conventional antibodies or their fragments, for example targeting epitopes such as receptor clefts, enzyme active sites and viral canyon sites. Nanobodies manufactured in micro-organisms are also said to present a significant cost advantage in comparison to production methods for conventional antibodies.

'There is a growing serious unmet medical need to treat Alzheimer's disease, which urgently requires new and innovative approaches. We are delighted that Boehringer Ingelheim has determined that Nanobodies represent such an approach,' said Dr Edwin Moses, ceo of Ablynx.

Ablynx' strategy is to build a diverse and broad portfolio of therapeutic Nanobodies based on strategic partnerships as well as on its own internal discovery pipeline. It has ongoing research collaborations and significant, multi-target partnerships with several other major pharmaceutical companies, including Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Centocor (J&J), Kirin Brewery and Procter and Gamble Pharmaceuticals.