Bio-Techne Announces Release of a New SARS-CoV-1/2 Spike RBD LlaMABody™ Recombinant Antibody that Blocks Viral Entry

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bio-Techne Corporation (NASDAQ:TECH) today announced the release of the SARS-CoV-1/2 Spike RBD LlaMABody Recombinant Antibody, which binds to the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain (RBD) and blocks the virus from binding to its host receptor, ACE-2, inhibiting viral infection . The SARS-CoV-1/2 Spike RBD LlaMABody Recombinant Antibody is the first camelid antibody offering in our new LlaMABody product line. Additionally, it is the first commercially available antibody that is produced using the VHH72 CoV-2 RBD Blocking/Neutralization clone published in Cell by Wrapp, D. et al. This antibody reflects Bio-Techne's well-established expertise in recombinant antibody engineering as a growing segment in our business, especially in biopharma.  

Camelid antibodies, also called V_HH antibodies and Nanobodies^®, offer many advantages over conventional antibodies and are increasingly being used for basic research and drug development. They are single-domain antibodies derived from the Camelidae family of mammals, which includes llamas, camels, and alpacas. Unlike conventional antibodies, which has a target-binding site composed of two noncovalently associated variable domains, camelid antibodies consist of a single monomeric variable domain (VHH) that contains the antigen recognition site. Due to this smaller size, camelid antibodies have a good penetration rate into tissues and can be used to target molecular epitopes that may be inaccessible to larger molecules, like traditional antibodies. They also have higher thermo- and chemostability, and do not display any of the solubility and aggregation problems associated with conventional antibodies. Additionally, camelid antibodies are highly compatible with genetic engineering tools and can be attached to different molecular scaffolds for improved binding properties.

"Bio-Techne scientists are continually developing new products and leveraging recombinant antibody engineering techniques to fill voids in the life science reagent industry," commented Dave Eansor, President of Bio-Techne's Protein Sciences Segment. "This new SARS-CoV-1/2 Spike RBD LlaMABody Recombinant Antibody is just part of a growing portfolio of tools from Bio-Techne that support SARS-CoV-2 research, diagnostics and therapeutic development."

The complete portfolio of  from all the Bio-Techne brands and more information on our LlaMABody product line can be found on the R&D Systems website.

LlaMABody^™ is a trademark of Bio-Techne Corporation. Nanobodies^® is a trademark of Ablynx N.V.

About Bio-Techne Corporation (NASDAQ: TECH)

Contact: David Clair, Senior Director, Investor Relations & Corporate Development
               [email protected]
               612-656-4416

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SOURCE Bio-Techne Corporation