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 and life-threatening human diseases. Ablynx is developing a portfolio of Nanobody^®-based therapeutic programmes in a number of major disease areas, including inflammation, thrombosis, oncology and Alzheimer’s disease. Ablynx has generated Nanobodies^® against more than 150 different disease targets and has characterised potent antagonists in vitro against 26 different targets.

The Company and its collaborators have obtained positive in vivo efficacy data from animal studies in eight major therapeutic programmes in five disease areas. Importantly, Ablynx has shown the absence of any detectable immunogenicity for its Nanobody^® development candidates in advanced primate studies. Ablynx’s lead programme, a novel, intravenously administered, anti-thrombotic,ALX-0081, has entered Phase II in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). ALX-0681, a subcutaneous formulation of the novel-anti-thrombotic Nanobody^®, that also selectively targets von Willebrand factor (vWF), has concluded Phase I.

Ablynx’s preclinical candidate ALX-0141 is a humanized Nanobody^® that targets the Receptor Activator for Nuclear Factor kappa B Ligand (RANKL), a molecule important in bone metabolism. Ablynx aims to develop ALX-0141 for a range of indications including the treatment of osteoporosis. Ablynx has progressed ALX-0141 in preclinical development and aims to initiate a Phase I study before the end of 2009. ALX-0061, an anti-IL6R Nanobody^® is in preclinical development for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Ablynx has ongoing research collaborations and significant, partnerships with several major pharmaceutical companies, including Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck Serono, Novartis and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Ablynx is building a diverse and broad portfolio of therapeutic Nanobodies^® through these collaborations as well as through its own internal discovery programmes. In December 2008, Ablynx's partner Wyeth Pharmaceuticals entered a Phase I study with an anti-TNF alpha Nanobody^® and a Phase II study was initiated in September 2009.

Ablynx has a strong and broad IP position and is the only company in the world with granted US and European patents that describe the composition of matter of Nanobodies^® (the “Hamers patents”), representing a distinct and unique position in the complex field of antibody-derived therapeutics. Ablynx’s patent estate currently encompasses more than 200 granted patents and patent applications in about 50 patent families.