A New Era in Targeted Therapies: Ichnos Glenmark Innovation and AbbVie Blaze a Trail with Tri-specific Antibodies

The landscape of therapeutic development is continually evolving, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in treating complex diseases. A recent announcement highlights this exciting progress: Ichnos Glenmark Innovation (IGI) and AbbVie have entered an exclusive global licensing agreement for ISB 2001, a groundbreaking CD38xBCMAxCD3 tri-specific antibody. This collaboration marks a significant milestone, bringing a "first-in-class" molecule to the forefront of cancer research and underscoring the immense potential of tri-specific antibodies in revolutionizing patient care.

The Power of Three: Understanding Tri-specific Antibodies

For years, monoclonal antibodies have been a cornerstone of modern medicine, targeting single antigens with remarkable precision. Then came bispecific antibodies, engineered to bind two different targets simultaneously, offering enhanced specificity and novel mechanisms of action, particularly in engaging immune cells to fight cancer.

Now, tris-pecific antibodies represent the next frontier. These ingenious molecules are designed to bind three distinct antigens or epitopes at once, within a single therapeutic entity. Imagine a highly sophisticated molecular key that can unlock three different locks simultaneously, creating a multi-pronged attack on diseased cells.

In oncology, for instance, a common strategy for tri-specific antibodies involves:

• Targeting a tumor-associated antigen (TAA): One arm binds specifically to a marker found on cancer cells, ensuring precise delivery to the diseased site.

• Engaging an immune effector cell: Another arm might bind to a receptor on an immune cell, like CD3 on T cells or CD16 on NK cells, effectively "recruiting" these powerful immune fighters to the tumor.

• Providing a co-stimulatory signal or blocking an immune suppressive pathway: The third arm can further enhance the immune response by activating co-stimulatory receptors on T cells (e.g., CD28) or by blocking checkpoints that allow cancer cells to evade detection by the immune system.

Design of one tri-specific antibody (https://doi.org/10.1186/s10020-018-0051-4)

This multi-targeted approach offers several compelling advantages over traditional and even bispecific antibodies:

• Enhanced Specificity and Efficacy: By engaging multiple targets, tri-specific antibodies can achieve a higher degree of specificity for diseased cells, potentially reducing off-target effects and increasing therapeutic potency.

• Overcoming Resistance Mechanisms: Cancer cells often develop mechanisms to evade single-target therapies. Tri-specific antibodies, by addressing multiple pathways, can make it more difficult for tumors to develop resistance.

• Synergistic Immune Activation: The ability to simultaneously engage and activate multiple aspects of the immune system can lead to a more robust and sustained anti-tumor response.

• Simplified Treatment Regimens: Instead of administering multiple different drugs, a single tri-specific antibody could potentially achieve the desired multi-faceted therapeutic effect, simplifying treatment and potentially reducing costs.

The potential applications of tri-specific antibodies extend beyond oncology to areas like inflammatory and infectious diseases, where modulating multiple pathways simultaneously could offer superior therapeutic outcomes.

Fueling Innovation: Our Role in Tri-specific Antibody Development

The development of these complex and highly sophisticated tri-specific antibodies demands access to high-quality, reliable biological tools. This is where we come in.

At KACTUS, we understand the intricate needs of cutting-edge antibody research. We are proud to provide high-quality recombinant proteins that are essential building blocks for facilitating the discovery, development, and characterization of tri-specific antibodies.

Our extensive catalog of recombinant proteins, including crucial antigens, immune checkpoint proteins, and receptor targets, empowers researchers to:

• Design and engineer novel tri-specific antibody constructs: Providing the purified target proteins for binding studies and structural analysis.

• Screen for optimal binding affinities and specificities: Ensuring the precise interaction of each arm of the tri-specific antibody with its intended target.

• Perform functional assays: Evaluating the biological activity and therapeutic potential of developed tri-specific antibodies.

• Support preclinical development: Supplying consistent and high-quality reagents for in vitro and in vivo studies.

As the scientific community pushes the boundaries with innovations like IGI and AbbVie's ISB 2001, we remain committed to being a reliable partner, providing the critical recombinant proteins that accelerate the journey from discovery to breakthrough therapies. The future of medicine is here, and tri-specific antibodies are leading the charge – a charge we are proud to support.

Product Validation Data:           

Human CD38 Protein, His tag

Immobilized Human CD38, His Tag at 1ug/ml (100ul/Well) on the plate. Dose response curve for Anti-CD38 Antibody, hFc Tag with the EC50 of 4.7ng/ml determined by ELISA

Human BCMA/TNFRSF17 Protein, His-avi tag

Immobilized Human BCMA, His Tag at 1 ug/ml (100 ul/well) on the plate. Dose response curve for Biotinylated Human BAFF, His Tag with the EC50 of 10.1 ng/ml determined by ELISA

Immobilized Human CD3E&CD3G, His Tag at 2 ug/ml (100 ul/Well) on the plate. Dose response curve for OKT3, mFc Tag with the EC50 of 110.2 ng/ml determined by ELISA

Product List

CD3 Homodimer & Heterodimer

BCMA (human, mouse, and cyno)

CD38 (human, mouse and cyno)