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Monoclonal Antibodies Revisited

 

 

# 4415

 

 

Every few months we seem to see a new press release or news story about some whiz-bang invention, discovery, or experimental drug that promises to revolutionize the way we treat or prevent influenza.   

 

Often these stories are about discoveries that hold genuine promise, but that are still some time away from practical application. 

 

This morning we’ve a press release and some news stories about a Korean company working on Human Monoclonal Antibodies (moAb) that are designed to work against a wide variety of influenza viruses. 

 

This from The Korean Times.

 

New Anti-Influenza Drug Being Developed

By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter


Celltrion has developed a drug based on "human monoclonal antibodies" that can be effective against multiple influenza viruses, the biopharmaceutical company said Tuesday.

 

The company tentatively called the drug a Super Flu-Antibody Therapy.

 

This is the first time a drug effective against multiple viruses has been developed in Korea. Celltrion expects to release the product next year, ahead of major rivals in the U.S. and other countries who have also been successful in developing substances that are effective against one or more viruses.

 

(Continue . . . )

 

 

If all of this sounds a tad familiar, it may be because a little over a year ago researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Dana-Farber), Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the identification of human monoclonal antibodies (mAb) that worked against a wide range of influenza viruses, including the H5N1 bird flu virus.

 

See Research: Monoclonal Antibodies Against Influenza
 
These antibodies targeted a highly conserved stem region of the H5 hemagglutinin (HA) which prevented the virus’s entry into a cell, and this portion of the virus is consistent across many (but not all) influenza strains.

 

Potentially a `magic bullet’ against influenza, assuming that it works as well (and as safely) in humans as it did in laboratory mice.

 

These monoclonal antibodies would not work like a vaccine, which confer relatively long-term protection.  Rather, a single injection is expected to serve as a treatment, or to work as a temporary prophylaxis.

 

Monoclonal antibodies are viewed by many researchers to hold promise for influenza treatment, but human trials have not been conducted, and substantial uncertainties exist.

 

Celltrion, Inc has released an optimistic sounding press release today on their latest monoclonal antibody research on mice, promising to move forward with clinical trials `as quickly as possible’.  

 

You can read the release at the link below.

 

Successful Development of Broad Spectrum Human Monoclonal Antibodies Against Major Influenza Viruses (H1N1 and H5N1)

 

Even if successfully brought to market in the next few years, monoclonal antibodies are not likely to become a panacea against a pandemic.  These are injectable, short-lived medications that are likely to remain expensive and limited in availability for the foreseeable future.  

 

Regardless of how these clinical trials turn out, or whether monoclonal antibodies prove to be a practical treatment for influenza down the road, this is another important step forward in our understanding of how influenza viruses work.

 

And that, over time, will no doubt pay big dividends.

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