Developability considerations for bispecific and multispecific antibodies

Abstract

Bispecific antibodies (bsAb) and multispecific antibodies (msAb) encompass a diverse variety of formats that can concurrently bind multiple epitopes, unlocking mechanisms to address previously difficult-to-treat or incurable diseases. Early assessment of candidate developability enables demotion of antibodies with low potential and promotion of the most promising candidates for further development. Protein-based therapies have a stringent set of developability requirements in order to be competitive (e.g. high-concentration formulation, and long half-life) and their assessment requires a robust toolkit of methods, few of which are validated for interrogating bsAbs/msAbs. Important considerations when assessing the developability of bsAbs/msAbs include their molecular format, likelihood for immunogenicity, specificity, stability, and potential for high-volume production. Here, we summarize the critical aspects of developability assessment, and provide guidance on how to develop a comprehensive plan tailored to a given bsAb/msAb.

Keywords: Antibody; bispecific; developability; format; immunogenicity; manufacturability; multispecific; specificity; stability.

Figure 1.

Common mAb, bsAb, and msAb configurations. a. standard immunoglobulin G antibody; b. symmetric IgG-like bispecific antibody; c. scFv- and sdAb-containing bispecific antibodies; d. multivalent bispecific antibodies; e. multispecific antibodies.