ABLYNX AND MERCK SERONO FURTHER STRENGTHEN THEIR COLLABORATION ON CO-DISCOVERY AND CO-DEVELOPMENT OF NANOBODIES
(Thomson Reuters ONE) -
Creation of dedicated discovery unit at Ablynx
Discovery and development of Nanobodies(®) against multiple targets in Merck
Serono's core therapeutic areas
GHENT, Belgium, 26 September 2013 - Ablynx [Euronext Brussels: ABLX] and Merck
Serono, the biopharmaceutical division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, today
announced that they have further expanded their relationship through a multi-
year research alliance that could lead to at least four co-discovery and co-
development collaborations.
Under the terms of the agreement, Merck Serono will fund a dedicated discovery
group at Ablynx. Both partners will jointly select disease targets against which
this group will develop Nanobodies, up to in vivo proof-of-principle. The
dedicated group will focus on the discovery and development of Nanobodies
against a number of targets across multiple disease areas. The collaboration
will span all of Merck Serono's core research and development fields, including
oncology, immuno-oncology, immunology and neurology.
Dr Edwin Moses, Chairman and CEO of Ablynx commented: "This is a very exciting
expansion of our partnership with Merck Serono, building on the success of our
existing collaborations and allowing us to exploit the broad and powerful
applicability of our Nanobody platform with a partner with whom we have
successfully worked for over five years. The new alliance is an early stage
discovery initiative, which allows the companies to rapidly explore the
potential of novel targets across a range of therapeutic areas and to determine
which programmes should be prioritised for later stage development. It is a very
interesting model that could create substantial value for both parties and one
which we believe could be applicable for us in other partnerships."
"We have established a very trustful and productive partnership with Ablynx and
a first compound has entered Phase I at the beginning of 2013," added Dr
Bernhard Kirschbaum, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Research and Early
Development at Merck Serono and Member of the Merck Serono Executive Board.
"Through our extensive collaboration history with Ablynx, both sides know how to
best conceptually design programmes to ensure technology fit, differentiation
potential and a clear scientific rationale. Our common goal is to develop novel
biologics with a high degree of differentiation for high-value therapeutic
targets."
The research alliance will have a term of four years, with the option to extend
by two and a half years. Research funding from Merck Serono over the first four
years will be over ?25 million, including an initial payment of ?11.5 million at
signing, and will aim to ensure that the collaboration could deliver at least
six programmes with proof-of-principle in a relevant animal model.
In addition, depending on the successful achievement of in vivo proof-of-
principle in sufficient programmes, Merck Serono will commit to taking at least
four programmes forward with Ablynx in co-discovery and co-development
arrangements. This co-development concept will extend the collaboration between
both companies which started when they signed their first contract in 2008,
followed by two additional agreements in 2010 and 2011. Further terms of the new
agreement are not disclosed.
About the Merck Serono partnerships
The first contract between Ablynx and Merck Serono was signed in 2008, at that
point in time focusing on two targets in oncology and immunology, followed by a
second contract in 2010, adding a new programme for an inflammatory diseases
target. In November 2011, Ablynx and Merck Serono announced the further
expansion of their relationship, entering into their third agreement to co-
discover and co-develop Nanobodies against two targets in osteoarthritis.
About Ablynx
Ablynx is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development
of Nanobodies(®), a novel class of therapeutic proteins based on single-domain
antibody fragments, for a range of serious human diseases, including
inflammation, haematology, oncology and pulmonary disease. Today, the Company
has approximately 25 programmes in the pipeline and six Nanobodies at clinical
development stage. Ablynx has on-going research collaborations and significant
partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies including AbbVie, Boehringer
Ingelheim, Merck & Co, Merck Serono and Novartis. The Company is headquartered
in Ghent, Belgium. More information can be found on www.ablynx.com.
About Merck Serono
Merck Serono is the biopharmaceutical division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt,
Germany. Merck Serono offers leading brands in 150 countries to help patients
with cancer, multiple sclerosis, infertility, endocrine and metabolic disorders
as well as cardiovascular diseases. In the United States and Canada, EMD Serono
operates as a separately incorporated subsidiary of Merck Serono. Merck Serono
discovers, develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines of both
chemical and biological origin in specialist indications. We have an enduring
commitment to deliver novel therapies in our core focus areas of neurology,
oncology, immuno-oncology and immunology. For more information, please visit
www.merckserono.com.
For more information, please contact
Ablynx:
Dr Edwin Moses
Chairman and CEO
t: +32 (0)9 262 00 07
m: +44 (0)7771 954 193 /
+32 (0)473 39 50 68
e: edwin.moses(at)ablynx.com
Marieke Vermeersch
Associate Director Investor Relations
t: +32 (0)9 262 00 82
m: +32 (0)479 49 06 03
e: marieke.vermeersch(at)ablynx.com
Follow us on Twitter (at)AblynxABLX
Ablynx media relations Consilium Strategic Communications:
Mary-Jane Elliott, Amber Bielecka, Lindsey Neville
t: +44 207 920 2345
e: ablynx(at)consilium-comms.com
press release in pdf format:
http://hugin.info/137912/R/1731432/578872.pdf
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(i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and
other applicable laws; and
(ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and
originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Ablynx via Thomson Reuters ONE
[HUG#1731432]
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