Llamas way forward for antibody drugs

The humble llama may hold the key to making antibody drugs more viable as treatments for major disease areas and Big Pharma is buying up  smaller firms that are pursuing the technology, claims a report  published in the Wall Street Journal.

Llamas, along with sharks, are the only animals that produce antibodies  of a very small size. These molecules may be effective in parts of the  body that large antibodies are unable to reach. This may make them  effective as treatments against tumors, Alzheimer's disease or  arthritis. In addition, they are less fragile and so can survive  ingestion or inhalation, and do not have to be injected. They can also  be manufactured much more cheaply using bacteria.

Belgian biotechnology firm Ablynx owns several patents on antibodies  from llama-relative, the alpaca. Founder Serge Muyldermans told the WSJ:  "the only disadvantage [the antibodies] have is that we can't find a  disadvantage. People don't believe us anymore."