Alpaca Heavy-Chain Antibodies for Cancer Diagnostics – Economic Aspects

Biotechnology companies engaged in cancer diagnostics require high volumes of specialized tools at low cost. Among these, alpaca-derived nanobodies—specifically VHH domains—offer distinct advantages stemming from their unique structural properties. This study evaluates a real-world production initiative using alpaca blood products sourced from Central Russia. The investigation focuses on the application of nanobodies, selected through phage display, for both cancer diagnostics and biomedical research, and assesses the commercial potential of establishing a production facility based on alpaca B-lymphocytes in Russia. The findings indicate that that producing fewer than two distinct nanobody products per year results in economic inefficiency. High investment and development costs make small-scale production unsustainable. In comparison with the average market price of USD 55,000 per product in the United States, equivalent products can be manufactured in Russia at substantially lower cost and offered at competitive price. To strengthen profitability, a collaborative model is proposed, linking a Moscow-based biolaboratory with a farm in Central Russia. Financial projections, including a positive Net Present Value (NPV) and a high Internal Rate of Return (IRR), confirm the project’s economic viability and its attractiveness to potential investors.