Biocytogen Launches “Nano 100 Project” to Develop Fully Human Nanobody Therapeutics for Over 100 Targets
21.2.2023 17:11:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals (Beijing) Co., Ltd. ("Biocytogen", HKEX: 02315) today announced the launch of the “Nano 100 Project”, which aims to develop fully human nanobody drugs for over 100 targets. The Project combines Biocytogen’s proprietary fully human nanobody mouse, RenNano®, with its high-throughput in vitro and in vivo antibody screening platforms to develop fully human nanobody drugs on a large-scale.
Compared to traditional antibodies, nanobodies have smaller molecular weights and improved tissue penetration ability, which make them effective at infiltrating tumors and crossing blood-brain barriers. Additionally, nanobodies generally have longer CDR3 regions which enables them to recognize hidden epitopes better. Due to their simpler structure, nanobodies are more stable and easier to produce and engineer, making them ideal building blocks for complex modalities such as cell therapy, bispecific antibody and engager, multi-specific antibody, antibody drug-conjugate (ADC), and radionuclide antibody-conjugate (RAC).
After several years of endeavor, Biocytogen successfully engineered the RenNano mouse from its fully human antibody mouse, RenMab™. RenNano mouse possesses full human heavy chain variable regions and can produce heavy-chain-only antibodies (HCAbs). The variable regions of HCAbs, i.e., nanobodies, do not require in vitro humanization to develop drugs. Our research has shown that RenNano mouse can generate robust immune responses after immunizations by different antigens. HCAbs generated from the RenNano mouse have highly diverse CDR3 sequences and can recognize many epitopes with nM-level high affinities. In vitro and in vivo experiments have shown that RenNano-derived antibodies have favorable biological functions.
Based on RenNano’s excellent ability to discover fully human nanobodies, Biocytogen has launched the “Nano 100 Project”. The Project aims to develop fully human therapeutic nanobodies against over 100 targets, including tumor associated antigens (TAAs), GPCRs, immune-checkpoints, cytokines, and factors related to neurological diseases. Biocytogen is actively seeking collaborations with global pharmaceutical and biotech companies to combine its large-scale nanobody development abilities with collaborators’ expertise in nanobody-related therapeutics, such as cell therapies, bispecific and multi-specific antibodies, ADCs and RACs, to develop novel drugs with first-in-class and/or best-in-class potentials.
“We believe that with the ability to rapidly develop fully human nanobodies against selected targets, the ‘Nano 100 Project’ will provide our global partners with more diverse and better nanobody building blocks to accelerate the development of novel drugs,” said Dr. Yuelei Shen, President and CEO of Biocytogen. “Meanwhile, it is also an important supplement to Biocytogen’s Project Integrum.”
About RenNano®
Biocytogen's proprietary fully human nanobody generating mouse, RenNano, is one of the most comprehensive fully human antibody platforms in the world. Nanobody sequences generated from RenNano mice have the highest possible diversity and do not require antibody humanization, which saves time and cost and reduces the risk of failure during later stages of drug development. Additionally, compared to natural HCAb-producing species like camelids, mice are easier to breed and immunize, making them suitable for developing HCAbs on a large scale.
About Biocytogen
Biocytogen (HKEX: 02315) is a global biotechnology company that drives the research and development of novel antibody-based drugs with innovative technologies. Using its proprietary RenMab™/RenLite®/RenNano® mice platforms for fully human monoclonal antibody, bispecific/multispecific antibody and nanobody development, Biocytogen has integrated its in vivo drug efficacy screening platforms and strong clinical development expertise to streamline the entire drug development process. Biocytogen is undertaking a large-scale project to develop first-in-class and/or best-in-class antibody drugs for more than 1000 targets, known as Project Integrum. This project has resulted in 28 drug co-development agreements and 16 RenMice™ licensing agreements with companies around the world, including several partnerships with multinational pharmaceutical companies (MNCs). Biocytogen's pipeline includes 12 core products, among which two products are in phase II multi-regional clinical trials and two products are in phase I. Headquartered in Beijing, Biocytogen has branches in Haimen Jiangsu, Shanghai, Boston, USA and Heidelberg, Germany. For more information, please visit http://en.biocytogen.com.cn.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230221005554/en/
Contact information
Biocytogen
Antibody platforms and antibody assets: BD-Licensing@biocytogen.com
Media: pr@bbctg.com.cn
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Galderma Receives U.S. FDA Approval for Differin ® Epiduo ® Acne Gel Prescription-to-OTC Switch22.5.2026 19:25:00 EEST | Press release
Galderma (SIX: GALD), the pure-play dermatology category leader, today announced that the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Differin® Epiduo® Acne Gel (Adapalene 0.1% and Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5% Acne Treatment) for over-the-counter (OTC) use in ages 12 years and older, marking a significant Prescription-to-OTC transition in acne care. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260522074280/en/ The U.S. FDA approves Differin® Epiduo® Acne Gel Prescription-to-OTC switch This milestone represents yet another example of Galderma’s unique Integrated Dermatology strategy, demonstrating how proven innovations from its Therapeutic Dermatology portfolio can further strengthen its Dermatological Skincare offerings. The Prescription‑to‑OTC transition highlights Galderma’s scale and expertise in successfully commercializing dermatology innovations across the full spectrum of acne care. With the appro
Avanzanite Bioscience’s Partner Agios Announces PYRUKYND® (mitapivat) Approval in the European Union for Adults with Thalassaemia22.5.2026 17:18:00 EEST | Press release
Avanzanite Bioscience B.V., a rapidly growing commercial-stage European specialty pharmaceutical company focused on rare diseases, today reported that its partner, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGIO), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts focused on delivering innovative medicines for patients with rare diseases, announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorisation for PYRUKYND® (mitapivat), an oral pyruvate kinase (PK) activator, in adults for the treatment of anaemia associated with transfusion-dependent and non-transfusion-dependent alpha- or beta-thalassaemia, with an orphan medicinal product designation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260522186975/en/ Adam Plich, CEO and Co-Founder of Avanzanite Bioscience. “Thalassaemia is a complex, chronic and multisystem disease characterised by anaemia, ineffective erythropoiesis and haemo
ICE Brent and ICE WTI Perpetual Futures to Launch on OKX22.5.2026 15:30:00 EEST | Press release
OKX, a blockchain technology and trading company serving more than 120 million customers globally,and Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE), one of the world's leading providers of financial market technology and data powering global capital markets including the New York Stock Exchange, today announced plans for OKX to launch perpetual futures based on ICE's Brent Crude and WTI Crude energy benchmarks. The products are expected to be available to trade on OKX’s platform in jurisdictions where OKX is licensed to offer perpetual futures products. The new OKX contracts represent a major step forward in expanding regulated access to global commodity markets through digital asset infrastructure. This first product collaboration between OKX and ICE comes after the companies established a strategic relationship in March 2026. ICE operates some of the world’s leading exchanges, clearing houses and market data services across energy, commodities, fixed income and equities markets. ICE’s future
Enhertu ® Recommended for Approval in the EU by CHMP for Patients with Previously Treated HER2 Positive Metastatic Solid Tumors22.5.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
Enhertu® (trastuzumab deruxtecan) has been recommended for approval in the European Union (EU) as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2 positive (immunohistochemistry [IHC] 3+) solid tumors who have received prior treatment and who have no satisfactory treatment options. Enhertu is a specifically engineered HER2 directed DXd antibody drug conjugate (ADC) discovered by Daiichi Sankyo (TSE: 4568) and being jointly developed and commercialized by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/NYSE: AZN). The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) based its positive opinion on results from patients with HER2 positive (IHC 3+) tumors in three phase 2 trials including DESTINY-PanTumor02,DESTINY-Lung01 andDESTINY-CRC02 where Enhertu demonstrated clinically meaningful responses across a broad range of tumors. The recommendation will now be reviewed by the European Commission, which has the authority
Future Health Challenge Awards USD 300,000 to Early Detection and Population Health Sensing Tools on Sidelines of World Health Assembly22.5.2026 14:45:00 EEST | Press release
Three global teams developing early detection and real-time population health monitoring solutions have secured a total of USD 300,000 on the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly. The winning solutions address critical challenges in early detection, continuous population insight and more timely decision making, signalling a shift in health systems from late-stage treatment to earlier intervention. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260522587414/en/ Selected from 393 submissions across 68 countries, the winning teams were recognised through the inaugural ‘Future Health Challenge 2026: Building Anticipatory Health Systems through Population Sensing’, delivered by Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi in collaboration with MIT Solve. Health systems globally are facing rising costs and persistent delays in diagnosis, with many conditions still identified only after symptoms become severe. At the sam
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom