Boeh Ingel enters $265M Nanobody R&D deal

Belgian biotechnology firm Ablynx NV has signed a deal worth over $265.0 million to allow privately-held German drug major Boehringer Ingelheim exclusive rights to use its nanobodies, a novel class of therapeutic protein, to discover and develop new therapies for Alzheimer's disease.

As part of the deal, Boehringer will be solely responsible for the development, manufacture and commercialization of any products resulting from the collaboration, in return for paying Ablynx an upfront fee, development and commercial milestones, as well as undisclosed royalties based on net sales. Further financial terms were not disclosed.

In a press statement, the firms noted that Ablynx' nanobodies could be particularly important in developing new treatments for AD. Due to their special characteristics, nanobodies may cross the blood-brain barrier more readily than conventional antibodies, and could thus solve the problems faced by other conventional drugs.