Session 4 : Advances in technology

Proteolytic and engineered Fab’ fragments have been found to be invaluable as research tools in the laboratory and clinic for decades. This potential has now been extended to their successful therapeutic use, with ReoPro (Eli Lilly), Lucentis (Genentech) and Cimzia (UCB) approved for sale and Mycograb (Novartis) successfully completing phase III clinical trials. In addition to Fab’, a whole spectrum of engineered antibody fragment derivatives and mimetics are being investigated as therapeutics, diagnostics and reagents due to their alternative biophysical and expression properties. We will compare and contrast the various formats of antibody fragments with whole antibodies in terms of their current and potential end uses. This will be illustrated with special reference to UCB-Celltech’s experience with production and clinical use of PEGylated Fab and F(ab)2.