Abbott has reported that its scientists are the first to discover a proprietary technology that combines the function and specificity of two or more monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) into one molecular entity that demonstrates drug-like properties and manufacturing feasibility.
These molecules, called dual-variable domain Ig (DVD-Ig(TM)) (www.abbott.com/global/url/content/en_US/60.15:15/feature/Feature_0029.htm), will allow for development of individual drug candidates that target multiple disease-causing molecules in various therapeutic categories.
Published online earlier this week in Nature Biotechnology ( http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nbt1345.html), this landmark study demonstrates a completely new platform that may be relevant to cancer, autoimmune diseases and other complicated conditions in which multiple disease-mediators are at play. Simultaneous blockage of multiple targets using DVD-Ig agents may increase efficacy in comparison to inhibition of a single target using a mAb.
"Combining the specificity of two or more antibodies into one drug has been a significant challenge for researchers looking at next generation biologic therapies," said Abbott Scientists Chengbin Wu, Ph.D. and Tariq Ghayur, Ph.D., who designed the DVD-Ig molecules and led the research team. "Abbott's approach is remarkably versatile and efficient in creating a single molecular entity with drug-like properties and the ability to target multiple disease mediators. We are very excited about the doors this opens in drug development across a range of therapeutic areas."
The process of combining two or more mAbs involves the use of molecular biology techniques, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), to link the regions (variable domains) of two different antibodies that target specific disease-causing molecules. The resulting molecule has two different (dual) variable domains, each of which targets a different disease-causing antigen.
While other public and private research programs have endeavored to combine two antibodies into one entity, the results have been limited by poor pharmacokinetics, stability and manufacturing feasibility.