Abkyu
VHH Contract Research Services
Having navigated the challenges of outsourcing to CROs ourselves, we understand the frustrations that can arise from external collaborations. We prioritize scientific integrity and transparency, ensuring that our clients receive not only high quality, actionable data, but also the support and consultation that may be needed at key decision points in the discovery process.
We’re not a high volume CRO — we intentionally limit the number of projects started every month so that each program gets the dedicated attention and analysis necessary to deliver VHHs with therapeutic potential, which is seldom found in the world of CROs.
From antigen design to humanization and functional characterization, we have a robust set of tools to address a variety of complex cell surface targets. Our processes are designed not only to address the intricacies of GPCRs, ion channels, and other multi-pass membrane targets, but also takes into consideration the ways VHHs against these targets are utilized in therapeutic applications.
The Immune Monitor workflow allows us to learn from the evolving immune response to capture a broader diversity of leads, and use leading edge tools to selectively explore immune repertoires for ideal therapeutic candidates.
- Sequences in as little 45 days
- More than 10^6 B cells screened
- Royalty and Milestone free
VHH Humanization White Paper
VHH Humanization
For our partners that require humanization of lead candidates, we have rapid approaches to generate humanized hits. We utilize an array of methods including CDR grafting, point mutation, and resurfacing to ensure the best chances of improving overall humanness and retaining parental VHH binding and activity profiles.
Our strategies rely on leading edge bioinformatic platforms, understanding of key VHH structural characteristics, and experience in industry to deliver fully validated humanized leads in as little as 5 weeks.
Check out our white paper to learn more about the intricacies of VHH humanization!
Abkyu utilizes a robust suite of tools to characterize VHH candidates, meeting our partners’ stringent biophysical profiles. Establishing the proper characterization workflow in the context of your downstream application and incorporating these analyses early in the workflow is key to our strategies to identify VHHs with bespoke therapeutic profiles.
Analyses include protein based specificity and affinity testing, cell based screening using endogenous and low expressing cell lines, blocking and binding assays, developability screening and other custom functional assays.
Characterization Assays include:
- On- and off-target binding ELISA
- Epitope binning
- Affinity measurement by BLI/SPR
- Cell-based binding including endogenous and low expression cell lines
- Cell-based functional assays
- Ligand blocking
- Developability screening
- Custom assay development
Developability Assays Include:
- In silico Structural Anlaysis
- Charge/Charge Symmetry
- Thermal Stability
- Hydrophobicity
- Polyreactivity
- Solubility
VHH Developability Screening
Developability screening of VHHs is essential prioritization tool used to nominate clones with therapeutic potential, and deprioritize leads that may cause trouble down the road.
This process evaluates critical factors such as stability, solubility, expression yield, and potential aggregation, ensuring that selected VHHs are not only potent but also manufacturable and suitable for therapeutic use. By screening VHHs early in development, we mitigate risks and streamline the path to successful drug candidates, ensuring that only the most promising VHHs move forward in the development pipeline.
Reagent VHH Discovery
We know you don’t always need the ‘Cadillac’ of services to get the tools you need.
VHHs offer a wide range of applications beyond therapeutics, including highly valuable use cases in diagnostics and reagent development. We provide tailored discovery services for these applications enabling researchers utilizing VHH for Cryo-EM, imaging, or PoC applications. Whether for research reagents or clinical diagnostics, our expertise ensures the discovery and development of VHHs optimized for non-therapeutic applications.
Learn more about the Immune Monitor Workflow
Contact our team
Have some upcoming VHH work?
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