the principle

We are developing a special kind of antibodies, termed nanobodies or VHHs, for use as therapeutics. Our platform starts with the immunization of the alpacas Vicugna pacos, i.e., animals that are capable of producing the precursors of nanobodies. Alpacas receive vaccinations much like humans, followed by a blood draw. All further procedures are carried out using unicellular organisms like Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris. They include antibody selection, optimization and production. Thus, a rapid, animal friendly and inexpensive production chain allows for the timely development of novel and readily available therapeutics.

Proprietary technologies yield nanobodies with potencies and stabilities that outcompete previously published ones by several orders of magnitude. They include but are not limited to phage libraries with maximum diversity, highly efficient selection procedures, sophisticated stabilization by structure analysis and prediction algorithms, rigorous testing of nanobody potency to neutralize real-world infectious agents, and production to utmost yields and purity. We strive to bring such nanobodies to the clinics for successful treatment of diseases.