Abstract
The monoclonal antibody (mAb) market has grown rapidly in recent years,
reaching sales of $14bn in 2005, an increase of 36.5% from 2004 sales of
$10.3bn. Köhler and Milstein developed the hybridoma method of murine
antibody production in 1975, which allowed the production of the first mAb to
market; Johnson & Johnson's Orthoclone OKT3 (muromonab) in 1986. The mAb
market is highly innovative and a key trend has been the move from murine to
humanized and fully human antibodies. As technology has progressed these
humanized mAbs have prevented immune responses (HAMA), thus having a larger
market potential. The traditional therapy areas in the mAb market are oncology
and autoimmune and inflammatory disorders (AIID), however this is forecast to
change with the emergence of other therapy areas including infectious disease
and ophthalmology. The clear leader in the mAb market is Genentech with 5
marketed drugs, with sales totaling $4,116.4m in 2005. A key theme of this
report is the high level of innovation, as demonstrated by advancements in
antibody engineering with the introduction of chimeric, humanized and fully
human mAbs. Other innovation in antibody technology include advancements in
non-invasive drug delivery technology, which is predicted to lead to a huge
boost in sales in the long-term once drugs that utilize this technology come
to market.
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