In 1989, a group of biologists led by Raymond Hamers at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel discovered that half the antibodies circulating in the blood of camels and llamas lack a light chain. Serge Muyldermans, Jan Steyaert and Lode Wyns have played a pioneering role in the development and valorization of the technology for the successful identification and isolation of antigen-specific Nanobodies, derived from these heavy chain only antibodies.

The “Hamers patents”, owned by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel cover the basic structure, composition, preparation and uses of both heavy chain antibodies and Nanobodies®, irrespective of the species from which they are derived (see for example US 5,840,526; US 5,874,541; US 6,005,079 and US 6.765,087). In addition, the Hamers patent cover methods and techniques for generating Nanobodies® against any desired target (see for example US 5,800,988; US 5,874, 541 and US 6,015,695). The patent family WO97/49805, owned by the VIB, describes Nanobodies® with an extended CDR3 loop that are capable of interacting with the active site or cleft of target molecules such as enzymes or viruses.

In 2001, Ablynx N.V. obtained the exclusive rights to the Hamers patent portfolio from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Flemish Institute of Biotechnology (VIB) for all therapeutic and diagnostic applications of Nanobodies. 

The Xaperones team obtained rights from VUB and VIB, as well as certain rights from Ablynx under the Hamers patent portfolio for the production and the commercial use of Nanobodies as co-crystallization agents.