Transcript Document 7330883

From fundamental research to
structured technology transfer –
the VUB model
Prof. Jan Cornelis
Vicerector Research
Presentation outline
IP ownership regulation in 1991 and now
Fundamental research in the Lab of Raymond
Hamers leads to a break-through technology
What did we learn?
Where VUB stands today in technology and
knowledge management
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Bayh-Dole act in US
Situation in Belgium (Flanders)
Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 requires U.S. universities
to put into use the intellectual property rights
generated from their federally funded research
No equivalent in Belgium / Flanders until 1998
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Presentation outline
IP ownership regulation in 1991 and now
Fundamental research in the Lab of
Raymond Hamers leads to a break-through
technology
What did we learn?
Where VUB stands today in technology and
knowledge management
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1991: getting the
environment right
 VUB professor Raymond Hamers and the “wild west” of
biotechnology
Generator of diversity...
 Fundamental Research:
Molecular immunology
DNA-protein interactions:
antibodies against DNA
Parasitology: sleeping disease, malaria…
cloning and cristallisation of antibodies against
carbohydrates (very important in the interaction
processes between cells)
-> ?monoclonal antibodies, but this seemed
impossible in practice
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Our attitude in fundamental
research
 No thematic steering – initiative of individuals and research
groups
 Internal quality control based on peers and correlated with
bibliometry
 Depth of the project reviewing process depending on the
level of research:
- Seed level: quality of proposal; starters investement
- Incubation level: matching of externally acquired
funds
- Excellence level: external peer review
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The students !
 Student ‘practicum’ immunology:
? blood of the teaching assistant to isolate antibodies
-> ‘80s: students refuse out of fear for hiv contamination
? collect blood from a mouse
-> experiment already done several times, no useless killing
 The research group ‘sleeping disease’
received blood samples from camels from
Mali:

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use of some camel blood for the experiment
Investment in talent &
technology
 Investment in new talent –
important motivation of R&D
 Research in university context
ensures crossfertilisation
education/research
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The discovery !
Results: not as expected
•possible reasons:
•the
students have done something wrong
•there’s something wrong with the blood samples
•there’s something else going on
•possible solution:
•ignore
these results
conduct
further research on fresh camel blood
•the results:
cameloïds posses a different kind of antibodies
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What they found: nanobodies®
Fv
CH2
Fc
conventional antibody
CH3
CH2
Fc
camel heavy-chain
antibody
single domain
antigen binding
NANOBODY®
fragment (15 kDa)
CH3
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Hamers et al., Nature, 1993
Spotting the value
Laboratory:
: constant shortage of cash
Not
yet in an era where ‘publications’ were an
absolute must for researchers
Seeing
the possibilities of the camel
antibodies:
file a patent, before publication!
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Patent and publication
‘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
Luckily, in this order !
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Patent portfolio: valorisation @ vub
 Patent costs soon became considerable:
inventors turned to the VUB
•
•
•
•
21/8/1992 ep19920402326 immunoglobulins devoid of light chains
29/4/1993 ep19930201239 production of antibodies or (functionalized) fragments
thereof derived from heavy chain immunoglobulins of camelidae
2/8/1993: fr19930009511 recombinant vector containing a lipoprotein gene sequence
for expressing nucleotide sequences
25/4/1995: ep19950400932 variable fragments of immunoglobulins - use for
therapeutic or veterinary purposes + ......
 Agreement on transfer of the patent to the VUB
(1995):
 no framework or ruling existed regarding IP
 a deal was set up to distribute possible income from
the patents
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Opportunity vs risk
 The university was unexperienced
• no specialised technology transfer cell
 The researchers were unexperienced
• starting negotiations without a non-disclosure
agreement
• company starts filing patents around the nanobody
technology
-> licence-agreement VUB - Unilever (1997) on
‘non-healthcare’ applications
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Flemish Institute of
Biotechnology
 Start of the VIB (Vlaams
Instituut Biotechnologie): 1997
www.vib.be
 Raymond Hamers’ lab becomes
a VIB-department
 Agreement VUB-VIB
• VIB takes the lead in commercialisation
• Income distribution system
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VIB-Virtual research institute
•
Virtual institutes, cherishing the best talents without fragmentizing or
duplicating efforts and investments
•
Advantages
•
- light weight central administration dedicated to specific R&D theme
•
- research is done by university partners, residing in their local labs  talent creation for the sector
•
•
•
- the best from each research domain are involved
•
- balanced/mixed leadership between industry and university
•
- Coherence of action
•
- Very high R&D performance
- bridging gaps between different monodisciplinary research domains
Dangers
•
- Unique entry point for all R&D  rules for new entries and exits of research groups
•
- Balance between internal competition and collaboration
1
Creation in 2001 of the
spin-off Ablynx
• Licence to Ablynx: diagnostics & therapeutics
• 5 mio € capital
www.Ablynx.com
• External CEO (Mark Vaeck) + 4 researchers VIB/VUB
• Start of several government-funded research projects
with VUB/ VIB department
• Ablynx becomes a biopharmaceutical company that
further develops the Nanobody ® Technology
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Company history and
milestones
 Ablynx established by VIB and
GIMV
 Hennie
Hoogenboom joins
as CSO
 Mark Vaeck joins as CEO
 Grant by VIB of rights to the
Nanobody technology and
patent portfolio for all human
and animal healthcare
applications
 Collaboration with
Novartis
2002
2003
2004
 Collaboration with P&GP
 Raised €25mm from Alta
Partners and existing
shareholders
 Edwin Moses joins as Chairman
of the Board
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 Josefin-Beate Holz joins as CMO
 Awarded €1.9mm grant to develop new
therapeutic applications of Nanobodies
2005
2006
2007
 Achieved first milestone and extended scope of
P&GP collaboration
 Began research operations
 €3mm from Sofinnova and
Gilde
 €206mm collaborative agreement with
Boehringer Ingelheim for AD
 €1.3bn collaborative agreement with
Boehringer Ingelheim
 €2mm seed money
2001
 First clinical trial of Nanobody (ALX0081)
 Edwin Moses becomes CEO, Wim Ottevaere
joins as CFO, Eva-Lotta Allan joins as CBO
 Raised €40mm from KBC Private Equity,
SROne and existing shareholders
 Collaboration with Wyeth—$212.5mm
licensing agreement on TNFα
 Moved into new facilities (Ghent)
Ablynx history
 Currently over 160 employees
 Successful IPO on Euronext Brussels (ABLX)
Nov 7th 2007
 Extensive and actively managed IP portfolio: over 200
patent applications and patents in more than 50
patent families worldwide
 Active protection of know-how and trade secrets
 Trademarks: nanobody™ and nanoclone™
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Ablynx business model
Pipeline development strategy
•
•
•
internal programs focused primarily on clinically
validated targets
target selection based on commercial opportunity,
nanobody competitive advantage and freedom to
operate
opportunistic therapeutic area focus
Partnering strategy
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•
Collaborate selectively on the development and
commercialization of certain Nanobodies
•
Provide exclusivity on targets rather than
indications or therapeutic area
Established partnerships with industry leaders
Partnering rationale: Exploit the
platform’s full capabilities across
multiple therapeutic areas (restricted to
just 10 different Nanobody therapeutics)
Deal value: €1.3bn; €75mm during the
research term. Development milestones
of €125mm per therapeutic program,
and royalties
Type: Worldwide research and licensing
agreement
Field: Human therapeutics
Ablynx product rights: Certain European
co-promotion rights
Year: 2H 2007
Partnering rationale: Specialist in
Alzheimer’s disease, strong biological
manufacturing expertise
Deal value: €206 million (excluding
royalties). Upfront, development and
commercial milestones, FTE funding
and royalties
Type: Worldwide research and
licensing agreement
Field: Target in Alzheimer’s disease
and all other human therapeutics
Ablynx product rights: None retained
Year: 1H 2007
Partnering rationale: External validation of the
technology platform
Deal value: Not disclosed. R&D funding, R&D
milestones and royalties
Type: Worldwide research and development agreement
Field: Targets in musculoskeletal indications and all
other human therapeutics
Ablynx product rights: None retained
Year: 2004 & 2006
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Partnering rationale: Partner has
specific TNFα expertise (Enbrel®), and
broad therapeutic area expertise.
Deal value: $212.5 million (excluding
royalties) Upfront, development and
commercial milestones, FTE funding
and royalties
Type: Worldwide licensing agreement
Field: Exclusive rights to TNFα
Nanobodies for all human therapeutics
Ablynx product rights: None retained
Year: 2006
Partnering rationale: External validation and
evaluation of platform across a range of targets
Deal value: Not disclosed. Deal includes up-front
payments, R&D payments, license fees, milestones
and royalties.
Type: Collaborative research program, exclusive
license agreement on a target-by-target basis
Field: Multi-target
Ablynx product rights: None retained
Year: 2005
The learning process...
Learning curve
– for the university
– for the scientists ....
... has lead to a valorization policy at the
university, a regulation comprising IP
management and income distribution
and ... professionalization of the
technology transfer interface cell
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Knowledge management
Technology transfer Interface
Multidisciplinairy team
(3FTE in 1999 -> 10 FTE + 4 consultants today)
Legal support contract research
Patent management & info-source (Patlib)
IP and contract managment
Creation of an entrepreneurial spirit (researchers, students...)
Spin-off creation
BI3 Fund (seed capital fund)
Research parks
Incubators IICB– ICAB
Industrial Network- Crosstalks
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Patent portfolio of the
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
www.vub.ac.be
> 50 patent families (application) VUB
> 20 patent families (application) with IMEC
(Interuniversity institute for Micro-electronics)
> 10 patent families (application) with VIB
(Flemish Interuniversity institute Biotechnology)
•Several patent families (application) with
other research institutions and industry
More information on technology offers: www.vub.ac.be/valorisatie
or contact
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[email protected]
Output indicators
Patents per FTE-professor: VUB ranks 3rd in Flanders
0.25
IOF parameter 5 (2001-2005) / # VTE ZAP 2005
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
KUL
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UH
UA
UG
VUB
BI3 Fund
Imagination- Incubation- Innovation
Aim:
Provide seed capital for VUB spin-off
companies
Partners:
Fortis Private Equity, KBC Private
Equity, Ethias Leven, GIMB, VUB
Value:
6 mio Euro (extendable to 12 mio Euro)
Obtained in 2006 VINNOF recognition
Participations:
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Elsyca, BruCells, Symbion, Eggcentris
21 spin-offs of the
21 spin-offs
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
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Output indicators
Spin-offs per FTE-professor: VUB ranks 1st in Flanders
aantal opgerichte spin-offs (2001-2005) / # VTE ZAP in 2005
0.03
0.025
0.02
0.015
0.01
0.005
0
KUL
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UH
UA
UG
VUB
Incubators of the
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Brussels: ICAB
Incubator Arsenaal Brussel
Near campus Etterbeek
Operational in 2008
Flanders: IICB
Innovation & Incubation center Zellik
Near campus Jette
www.iicb.be
www.vub.ac.be
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Research at of the
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
www.vub.ac.be
Partner for industry:
* Medium to long term
research projects
* Contract research
* Consultancy and testing
facilities
* Training & industrial
residents
Contact the technology transfer interface
[email protected]
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Crosstalks
the VUB industry- university network
Creating an exchange dynamics
Encouraging cross-talking and stimulating innovation
Through different formats
And international publications
Conferences, science & industry lunches, workshops...
•Windows by Day, Linux by Night: open source paradigma
•The Future of Technology
•The Future of our Digital Commons
•Early Warning Signals
•Grenzen van de Geneeskunst
•Early Warning Information Systems
•The Future of Medication in a Patient-Centered Health Care
•.........
http://crosstalks.vub.ac.be
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Technological entrepreneurship
education program
Introduce technological entrepreneurship in the Masters
Engineer
<->
Business engineer
Courses
Business administration
Entrepreneurship
<->
<->
Technology
Entrepreneurship
for Bus.engineers
Writing of a business plan
Start up of a student business
via ETC (Entrepreneurial Talent Corporation)
Partners
PMV, Yakult, Ethias, WTCM, IBM, Fundus, Bank De Groof,
Solvay, Bekaert, Tyco Electronics Raychem,...
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QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (LZW) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Sketchy Technology Life Cycle
Program driven
Joint
research
Generic
technology
Embryonic
3
Project
driven
Proprietary
Industrial
Product
Potential
growth
Growth
Mature
Aging