Ablynx awarded €2.1m to develop nanobody treatment for eye disease

29 August 2014

Ghent-based Ablynx has been awarded a €2.1 million grant by the Flemish Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology (IWT) to develop the use of nanobodies for a novel approach to the treatment of diseases of the eye.

The grant is available over a period of three years and will allow the development and subsequent testing of Nanobody leads in relevant pre-clinical disease models.

Dr Tony De Fougerolles, CSO of Ablynx, commented: "This grant is a further clear endorsement of the innovative potential of the Nanobody platform and its ability to generate differentiated drugs in disease areas which are scientifically challenging and which represent a high unmet medical need. Ophthalmology is an increasingly important area for many pharmaceutical companies as they seek to meet the demands of an ageing population. We are very grateful for the continued commitment by IWT to support world-class science in Belgium."

Nanobodies, are a novel class of therapeutic proteins, first discovered in camels and llamas, based on single-domain antibody fragments and with applications for a range of serious human diseases, including inflammation, haematology, oncology and pulmonary disease.