The News

Ablynx achieves third milestone in drug discovery and development collaboration

18/11/2009

GHENT, Belgium, 18 November 2009 - Ablynx [Euronext Brussels: ABLX], announced today that it will receive an undisclosed milestone payment from Novartis. The payment has been triggered by successful delivery to Novartis of Nanobody® candidates which met specific criteria. This will be the third milestone payment that Ablynx has received from Novartis since the initiation of the alliance between the companies.
Novartis and Ablynx entered into the alliance in December 2005 to discover and develop therapeutic Nanobodies against targets that are difficult to address with conventional antibodies and fragments. Under the terms of this ongoing agreement, Ablynx receives upfront fees, license fees and funding for research and development. In addition, Ablynx is eligible for milestone payments and royalties upon commercialisation. Novartis has exclusive rights to develop and commercialise the Nanobody products resulting from the collaboration.
Edwin Moses, CEO and Chairman of Ablynx, commented: “This is an important stage in our alliance with Novartis as these Nanobodies have shown significant activity in vivo compared with a benchmark antibody. We are very pleased with the progress made and look forward to reaching further key milestones under this alliance in the future.”

About Ablynx [Euronext Brussels: ABLX] - Founded in 2001 in Ghent, Belgium, Ablynx is a biopharmaceutical company focused on 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. The Company currently has over 220 employees. Ablynx completed a successful IPO on Euronext Brussels [ABLX] on 7 November 2007.
Ablynx is developing a portfolio of Nanobody-based therapeutics in a number of major disease areas, including inflammation, thrombosis, oncology and Alzheimer’s disease. Nanobodies have been generated against more than 150 different disease targets. Efficacy data have been obtained in over 26 in vivo models for Nanobodies against a range of different targets.
Ablynx has an extensive patent position in the field of Nanobodies for healthcare applications. It has exclusive and worldwide rights to more than 50 families of granted patents and pending patent applications, including the Hamers patents covering the basic structure, composition, preparation and uses of Nanobodies.
Ablynx has ongoing research collaborations and significant partnerships with several major pharmaceutical companies, including Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck Serono, Novartis and Pfizer (previously 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.
The Company’s lead programme, ALX-0081, an intravenously administered novel anti-thrombotic has entered Phase II in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). ALX-0681, a subcutaneous formulation
of the novel anti-thrombotic Nanobodies that also selectively targets von Willebrand factor (vWF) has concluded Phase I. Ablynx has progressed ALX-0141, an anti-RANKL Nanobody for bone disorders into 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. In addition, in December 2008, Ablynx’s partner Pfizer entered a Phase I study with an anti-TNF-alpha Nanobody and a Phase II study was initiated in September 2009.
Nanobody® is a registered trademark of Ablynx NV.

For more information, please contact:
For international media enquiries:
College Hill Life Sciences
Ablynx:
Sue Charles, Justine Lamond,
Dr John McIntyre
t: +44 (0)20 7866 7857
e: ablynx@collegehill.com
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@ablynx.com
Eva-Lotta Allan
Chief Business Officer
t: +32 (0)9 262 00 75
m: +32 (0)475 78 36 21 / +44 (0)7990 570 900
e: eva-lotta.allan@ablynx.com

Certain statements, beliefs and opinions in this document are forward-looking, which reflect the Company’s or, as appropriate, the Company’s directors’ current expectations and projections about future events. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described herein. A multitude of factors including, but not limited to, changes in demand, competition and technology, can cause actual events, performance or results to differ significantly from any anticipated development. Forward looking statements contained in this document regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. As a result, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this presentation as a result of any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based. Neither the Company nor its advisers or representatives nor any of its of their parent or subsidiary undertakings or any such person’s officers or employees guarantees that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does either accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained in this presentation or the actual occurrence of the forecasted developments. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this document.