Ablynx has entered into an exclusive research collaboration with Genzyme, a Sanofi company, to investigate Nanobodies against a multiple sclerosis (MS) target that relates to Genzyme’s early-stage MS research programs involving neuroprotection and CNS repair.
 
Existing drugs do not directly treat the neurodegeneration in MS. Genzyme’s research efforts aim to target the underlying causes of MS disease progression and develop treatments to protect neurons and promote repair.
 
Genzyme will perform in vitro and in vivo research with Ablynx’s Nanobodies in MS-relevant models in return for an exclusivity fee. Once the studies are completed, Genzyme will have the option to negotiate a license agreement. Ablynx has already generated potent Nanobodies against the specific target of interest and confirmed their activity in preclinical models.
 
Dr. Edwin Moses, chief executive officer of Ablynx, said, “As a leading biotech company, Genzyme is an ideal partner to demonstrate the potential value of Ablynx’s versatile Nanobody technology platform in MS. The formatting flexibility of Nanobodies makes them promising candidates for combining antibody-like selectivity and multi-specificity in a single molecule. We are looking forward to working for the first time with Genzyme.”
 
Johanne Kaplan, vice president, Neuroimmunology Research, Genzyme, said, “We look forward to collaborating with Ablynx to evaluate the potential of Nanobodies against this CNS target, as this project supports our research that includes the exploration of novel therapeutic platforms to address unmet needs in multiple sclerosis.”