GHENT, Belgium, Jan. 22, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ablynx [Euronext Brussels: ABLX] today announced that it has been successful in opposing the appeal lodged by Domantis (now a member of the GlaxoSmithKline, GSK, group of companies) in 2010 against the decision by the Opposition Division of the European Patent Office to revoke Domantis' European Patent 1 517 921. As a result of the decision by the Board of Appeal, the Domantis patent will remain revoked in full (without further possibility to appeal).
The European Patent 1 517 921 relates to one specific technique for the half-life extension of immunoglobulin single variable domains. Now that the revocation of this patent has been confirmed in appeal, Ablynx and its partners remain free to apply such half-life extension techniques in their internal and partnered programmes, as Domantis has no granted patent claims that could possibly be invoked against the use of these techniques in Europe.
Dr Edwin Moses, CEO of Ablynx, commented:
"This is the result that we have always anticipated. One of the key features of our Nanobody® technology is the possibility for modular half-life extension to achieve the desired properties, such as the use in chronic versus acute indications. Today, we have already achieved two clinical proof-of-concepts in patients with rheumatoid arthritis with two Nanobodies that incorporate this half-life extension technology. From all the evidence available to us, our half-life extension technology, which is based on a serum-albumin binding Nanobody, outperforms that of GSK/Domantis. We are pleased that the Board of Appeal has now rejected attempts by Domantis to claim our proprietary techniques in their patents."
Ablynx was represented by Dr Joe Taormino and Dr Andreas Stefferl from the firm of Hoffmann-Eitle in Munich.
About Ablynx
Ablynx is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of Nanobodies®, proprietary therapeutic proteins based on single-domain antibody fragments, which combine the advantages of conventional antibody drugs with some of the features of small-molecule drugs. Ablynx is dedicated to creating new medicines which will make a real difference to society. Today, the Company has more than 30 proprietary and partnered programmes in development in therapeutic areas including inflammation, haematology, oncology and respiratory disease. The Company has collaborations and significant partnerships with 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.
For more information, please contact
Ablynx:
Dr Edwin Moses
CEO
t: +32 (0)9 262 00 07
m: +44 (0)7771 954 193 /
+32 (0)473 39 50 68
e: edwin.moses@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@ablynx.com
Follow us on Twitter @AblynxABLX
Ablynx media relations Consilium Strategic Communications:
Mary-Jane Elliott, Jonathan Birt, Amber Bielecka, Lindsey Neville
t: +44 203 709 5700
e: ablynx@consilium-comms.com
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