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Ablynx [Euronext Brussels: ABLX] has won the award for 'Best Technology' at the 2010 European Mediscience Awards for the second time in two years.
The European Mediscience Awards Dinner, sponsored by Piper Jaffray, is the largest annual gathering of quoted biotech and life sciences companies in Europe. It celebrates the best in the sector and highlights the achievements of individuals and companies. The event recognises the importance of access to the capital markets to fund growth and innovation and is attended by specialist investors, advisors, media and analysts.
Nanobodies are a new class of novel therapeutic proteins that are derived from naturally occurring single-chain antibodies. The basis for Nanobody technology was originally discovered in 1992 at the Free University of Brussels. The invention was based on the observation that Camelidae (the family which includes camels and llamas) are the only mammals which, in addition to conventional antibodies, also possess antibodies that lack light chains but still have the full antigen-binding capacity of conventional antibodies. In these heavy-chain only antibodies, antigen binding occurs through a single variable domain (VHH), which is the smallest functional antibody fragment of a naturally occurring heavy-chain antibody and from which Nanobodies are derived.
On behalf of the voting panel, Kate Silverton said: "As befits the European Mediscience Awards, the shortlist of technologies are novel, exciting and have tremendous potential. Having won this award last year as well, Ablynx's Nanobody technology platform is undoubtedly best in class and it is a great achievement to win this award two years in a row."
Dr Moses, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Ablynx, commented: "We are delighted to have won this prestigious award against such strong competition. Since Ablynx was founded in 2001, we have invested in building a robust and well validated technology platform which has, over the last four years, yielded a very strong portfolio of over 25 Nanobody-based therapeutic programmes with four Nanobody-based products now in the clinic."
Source: Ablynx
Tags: awards
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