ABLYNX ANNOUNCES INTENTION TO APPOINT THREE NEW DI

GHENT, Belgium, Oct. 7, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ablynx [Euronext Brussels:ABLX] today announced that Dr Peter Fellner, Dr Bo Jesper Hansen ¹ and Dr William Jenkins ² will be proposed for nomination as Independent Non-Executive Directors at the Company's forthcoming Extraordinary Meeting of its shareholders to be held on 7 November 2013.

The Company also indicated that it is then the intention of the Board to separate the roles of Chairman and CEO. The Board intends to elect Dr Fellner as Chairman to succeed Dr Moses who will remain Chief Executive Officer. The Company also announced that it is the intention of Dr Stephen Bunting and Mr Denis Lucquin to resign from the Ablynx Board.

Commenting on the Board appointments, Dr Edwin Moses, Chairman and CEO of Ablynx, said:

"The strengthening and evolution of our Board and the splitting of the roles of Chairman and CEO represent important steps in Ablynx's continuing transformation into one of Europe's leading biotech companies. We are delighted to have attracted someone of Peter Fellner's reputation and track record in the pharmaceutical sector to serve as the new Chairman of our Company. He will be supported in his new role by the appointments of Bo Jesper Hansen and William Jenkins. William's strong medical and clinical expertise together with Bo Jesper's background in business development, medical marketing, orphan diseases and mergers and acquisitions, will be extremely valuable for Ablynx as we continue to develop our product pipeline and seek further partnerships with pharmaceutical partners."

"I have great confidence that the new Board will be instrumental in taking Ablynx to the next level and continuing to build significant value for our shareholders. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Stephen and Denis for their very important contributions as investors and Directors over the past ten years."

Dr Peter Fellner

Dr Peter Fellner is currently Chairman of the Board of Consort Medical and Optos. In addition, he serves as Chairman of the biotech companies Vernalis and Biotie Therapies, and is Vice Chairman of Astex Pharmaceuticals which is being acquired by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals for $886 million. He is currently a Director of the global biopharmaceutical company UCB, where he is Chairman of the Science Committee of the Board, and is a member of the Novo A/S Advisory Group. Dr Fellner previously served as Chairman of Acambis from 2006 until its acquisition by Sanofi Aventis in 2008, and of Premier Research Group from 2007 to 2008, when it was acquired by a private-equity backed group. He also served as Chairman of Celltech Group from 2003 to July 2004, until its acquisition for €2.3 billion by UCB, having been CEO from 1990 onwards during which he oversaw the Company's growth from a small research-based company to UK's largest biotech company. Before joining Celltech, he was CEO of Roche UK from 1986 to 1990.

Dr Bo Jesper Hansen

Dr Bo Jesper Hansen, M.D., PhD, currently serves as Executive Chairman of the Boards of Swedish Orphan Biovitrum and TopoTarget. He is also non-Executive Director of a number of biotech and pharma companies including Orphazyme, Newron Pharmaceuticals, CMC AB, Hyperion Therapeutics and Genspera. Dr Hansen served as CEO and President and as Director to the Board of Swedish Orphan International until the acquisition of Biovitrum, forming Swedish Orphan Biovitrum. He also was Non-Executive Director of Gambro until its acquisition by Baxter, and Zymenex, until its acquisition by Chiesi. He founded Scandinavian Medical Research during which he served as Medical Advisor for Synthélabo, Pfizer, Pharmacia and Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical.

Dr William Jenkins

William J. Jenkins, M.D., is Principal of William Jenkins Pharma Consulting and has been advising a wide range of pharma and biotech companies, and investment and venture capital firms in the healthcare sector since 1999. Formerly, he was Head of Worldwide Clinical and Regulatory Affairs for Novartis Pharma and held a similar position with Glaxo Group Research Limited. He is currently Senior Independent Director of Consort Medical, an ad hoc member of the Board of Evotec and a member of the Advisory Board of Chiesi Farmaceutici. In addition, he serves as Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of Evotec and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Boards of BB Biotech Ventures II and III funds, and until recently Nicholas Piramal India.

About Ablynx

Ablynx is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of Nanobodies ^® , a novel class of therapeutic proteins based on single-domain antibody fragments, for a range of serious human diseases, including inflammation, haematology, oncology and pulmonary disease. Today, the Company has approximately 25 programmes in the pipeline and six Nanobodies at clinical development stage. Ablynx has ongoing research collaborations and significant partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies including AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck & Co, Merck Serono and Novartis. The Company is headquartered in Ghent, Belgium. More information can be found on www.ablynx.com .

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¹ Dr Bo Jesper Hansen will represent OrfaCare Consulting GmbH

² Dr William Jenkins will represent William Jenkins Pharma Consulting

Press release in pdf format: http://hugin.info/137912/R/1733819/580593.pdf