Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs)

Monoclonal antibodies, also called mAbs, are proteins made in a laboratory that act identically to immune system antibodies. These manufactured antibodies come from a single unique parent cell and are exact replicas of antibodies that target one specific antigen. That makes them ideal for targeted monoclonal antibodies immunotherapy.

Among the uses for monoclonal antibodies are the treatment diseases, including:

• Cancer
• Autoimmune diseases
• Asthma
• Viral infections, such as Ebola and COVID-19

Monoclonal antibodies are used for a variety of diagnostic procedures that include:

• Lymphoid and myeloid malignancies
• Tissue typing
• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
• Radioimmunoassay
• Serotyping of microorganisms
• Immunological intervention with passive antibody
• Anti-idiotype inhibition

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) work in a variety of ways depending on the protein they are targeting. Each mAb mimics one of the body’s natural antibodies and functions as immunotherapy by targeting one particular protein to:

• Trigger the immune system
• Help the immune system
• Block signals or target another aspect of the cell

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are the largest sector in the biologics market, based on revenues and drug pipelines. The clinical benefit of mAbs has been effective in treating autoimmune diseases and oncology.

Significant investments are now focusing on developing mAbs for the growing field of immuno-oncology or monoclonal antibodies immunotherapy. Efforts include process optimization to increase mAb titers, mAb fragments manufactured in other expression systems, multiple target specificity for mAbs, and the development of Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) that deliver highly toxic drugs to targeted cancer cells.