From fundamental research to structured technology transfer – the VUB model, by Dr Hugo Loosvelt

1. From fundamental research to structured technology transfer – the VUB model Dr Hugo Loosvelt R&D Department, Technology Transfer Interface

2. Regulatory background and institutional background Belgium: a federal country Flemish, French communities have legal competency over subsidised education Flemish region Walloon region Brussels capital region Flemish community French community German speaking community VUB

8. Camel antibodies: case study @ VUB Practical laboratory session…examine antibodies…in blood samples from camels (crazy idea…) 1991: wild west of biotechnology … introduction to Prof Hamers group: diversity of subjects, creating new talent -> excellent setting for discoveries V H V L C L C H 1 C H 3 C H 2 V HH C H 3 C H 2 Conventional Antibody Heavy and light chains Both chains required for antigen binding and stability Heavy-Chain Antibody Only heavy chains Full antigen binding capacity and highly stable What they found: antibodies devoid of light chains

9. Camel antibodies: case study @ VUB - spotting the possibilities of the camel antibodies! - laboratory: constant shortage of cash - not yet an era where publication pressure was so high… Luckily in this order !! Visionary at a time where the dominant feeling among professors was a reluctance or even a fundamental objection against valorisation of research results * ‘Hamers1’ patent was filed (Hamers, Casterman) Immunoglobulins devoid of light chains (priority date 21/8/1992) * Publication in Nature. 1993 Jun 3;363(6428):446-8

10. Camel antibodies: case study @ VUB Expanding patent portfolio: patent costs soon became considerable: inventors turned to the VUB Agreement on transfer of the patent to the VUB (1995) and distrubution of possible income from the patents Starting negociations without confidentiality agreement with Unilever BUT: Unexperienced university in valorisation of research results (no technology transfer cell) Unexperienced researchers No framework/ ruling regarding IPR Actions/ results: -> Licence-agreement VUB with UNILEVER (1997) on ‘Non-healthcare’ applications -> Unilever starts filing patents around nanobody technology

11. Camel antibodies: case study @ VUB Start Vlaams Interuniversiteit instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB) Advantages Dangers - light weight central administration dedicated to specific R&D theme - R&D done in university lab -> recruiting new talent - best from each R&D domain are involved - bridging gap between different monodisciplinery research domains - balanced/mixed leadership between industry and university - coherence of action - high performance - rules for new entries, exits of research groups - delicate balance between internal competition and collaboration - fragmentation of IP portfolio between universities and institute

12. Camel antibodies: case study @ VUB * Lab of Raymond Hamers becomes VIB department * Agreement VUB-VIB: -valorisation strategy is carried out in partnership -VIB takes lead -Distribution of income

13. Camel antibodies: case study @ VUB * Licence to Ablynx: diagnostics & therapeutics * 5 mio € capital * External CEO + 4 researchers VIB/VUB * Start of several government funded research projects with VIB/ VUB department * Ablynx becomes a biopharmaceutical company that further developes the NANOBODY ® technology Creation of AblynX