Bio-Rad Launches Anti-Certolizumab Pegol Antibodies

On May 5, 2020, Bio-Rad Laboratories, a provider of life science research and clinical diagnostic products, announced the launch of a range of anti-certolizumab pegol inhibitory antibodies to support the development of assays for therapeutic drug monitoring of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha inhibitors. The extension of Bio-Rad’s product offering to include anti-certolizumab pegol antibodies offers critical reagents to support the development of anti-drug antibody (ADA) assays for all five marketed TNF alpha inhibitor biologics and their biosimilars.

The range of recombinant monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies comprises three antibodies that are highly specific for the monoclonal antibody antigen-binding fragment (Fab), certolizumab pegol (Cimzia), and inhibit the binding of this drug to its target, TNF alpha. The antibodies are fully human in full-length immunoglobulin G (IgG) format and can be used as a surrogate positive control or calibration standard for an ADA assay to measure levels of patient anti-drug antibodies.

TNF alpha inhibitors are used to treat a wide range of inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and psoriasis. The levels of serum drug and ADA concentrations are monitored in patients receiving TNF alpha antagonists to help guide clinical decision making, optimize treatment, improve outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs, Bio-Rad stated in a company press release.

The recombinant monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies are generated using the human combinatorial antibody library (HuCAL) and CysDisplay, a proprietary method of phage display with guided selection methods to obtain highly targeted reagents. The recombinant production method also ensures a consistent and secure supply, according to Bio-Rad.

“Using a recombinant, human, monoclonal, anti-idiotypic antibody as a surrogate positive control overcomes the limitations of supply and batch variability imposed by an animal-derived antibody,” said Amanda Turner, Bio-Rad product manager, Life Science Group, in the press release. “Having this critical antibody reagent available at the preclinical stage of development minimizes the need to revalidate assays with different reagents at the clinical development stage.”

The anti-certolizumab pegol antibodies are approved for in-vitro research and for commercial applications of in-vitro testing services that support preclinical and clinical drug and biosimilar development and patient monitoring.

Source: Bio-Rad Laboratories