Nanobodies – from llamas to therapeutic proteins

Antibodies have been a focus of drug development since the approval of Orthoclone® OKT3 in 1986. However these large biologics are not without limitations. This has led to new technologies which harness the power of the immune system but provide distinct advantages over conventional antibody approaches. Nanobodies® are llama-derived proteins with unique characteristics well suited for drug discovery. The Nanobody platform has proven robust with four Nanobodies currently in clinical development.

Section editor:Ming-Qiang Zhang – Zhang-Jiang High-Tech Park, Pudong New District, Shanghai, China