Tiny antibodies could beat out blockbusters

Antibodies have provided some of biotech's biggest blockbusters. But they have a distinct limitation. They are big, complex and rather fragile. Scientists, though, are now studying the small antibodies found in llamas and camels that promise to be able to offer better therapies for some of the world's biggest diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer's, arthritis and more.  

"The only disadvantage they have is we can't find a disadvantage," Serge Muyldermans, the founder of Ablynx, which patented the antibodies, tells the Wall Street Journal. "People don't believe us any more."

If he's right, Ablynx could be on to a new approach to deliver antibodies that can be delivered orally instead of injected. Production costs will drop. And researchers have the potential to assemble antibodies into a molecule that can target a variety of proteins--potentially offering a new approach to fighting cancer.

The WSJ also notes that other companies are approaching the same field from a different direction. Haptogen is researching shark antibodies and Domantis is re-engineering larger antibodies into smaller packages. To the winner of this race goes a very big market.

- read the article in the Wall Street Journal

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