Format of bispecific antibodies (BsAbs)-Hetero heavy chain, Common light chain

SOCAIL MEDIA

Since an IgG antibody has two antigen-binding fragments (Fab) both of which link to an Fc region, there had long been a concept of an asymmetric bispecific IgG antibody capable of binding to two different antigens or epitopes. The asymmetric reengineering technology immunoglobulin (ART-Ig) is a humanized asymmetric bispecific IgG antibody. An asymmetric bispecific IgG antibody typically has 2 kinds of heavy chain and 2 kinds of light chain. If the 4 chains were simultaneously expressed in a recombinant cell to produce the desired asymmetric bispecific IgG antibody, as many as 9 kinds of unwanted byproduct IgG molecules would also be assembled and secreted. A method of reducing the byproduct IgG molecules using a common light chain in the asymmetric bispecific IgG antibody and also by introducing “knobs-into-holes” mutations in its Fc region to prioritize a specific hetero-dimerization of the heavy chains.

Schematic illustration of the molecular structure of asymmetric reengineering technology immunoglobulin (ART-Ig), emicizumab. CDR: complementarity determining region, pI: isometric point. (Adopted from: Kitazawa, T., Shima, M. (2020) Emicizumab, a humanized bispecific antibody to coagulation factors IXa and X with a factor VIIIa-cofactor activity. Int J Hematol 111, 20–30)

Formats of bispecific antibodies (BsAbs)

Many formats have been developed for BsAb generation as listed in the following table.

FormatSchematic structureDescriptionExample BsAbTrademark Company
tandem VHHTandem VHH fragment-based BsAbN/A
tandem scFvPicture loading failed.Tandem ScFv fragment-based BsAbAMG330BiTETMAmgen
Dual-affinity re-targeting antibodyPicture loading failed.Tandem domain-exchanged Fv (can also be used to fuse with Fc domain to create whole Abs)FlotetuzumabDARTTMMacrogenics
DiabodyPicture loading failed.dimer of single-chain Fv (scFv) fragmentvixtimotamabReSTORETMAmphivena Therapeutics
(scFv)2-FabPicture loading failed.a Fab domain and two scFv domains bindA-337ITabTMGeneron/EVIVE Biotech
Rat–mouse hybrid IgGPicture loading failed.Full-size IgG-like half antibodies from two different speciesCatumaxomabTriomabTMTrion Pharma
Hetero heavy chain, Common light chainPicture loading failed.Hetero heavy chain, Common light chainEmicizumabART-IgTMGenentech/ Chugai/Roche
Controlled Fab arm exchangePicture loading failed.Recombin the parental half antibodies JNJ-64007957DuobodyTMGenmab/ Janssen
Hetero H, forced HL IgG1Picture loading failed.KIH technology for heterodimerization of 2 distinct H chains, replacing the native disulfide bond in one of the CH1-CL interfaces with an engineered disulfide bond to enhance the cognate of H and L paringMEDI5752DuetMabTMMedImmune/ AstraZeneca
cH IgG1Picture loading failed.Identical heavy chains; 2 different light chains: one kappa (κ) and one lambda (λ)NI-1701κλ bodyTMNovimmune SA
Hetero H, CrossMabPicture loading failed.KIH technology; domain crossover of immunoglobulin domains in the Fab regionVanucizumabCrossMabTMRoche
scFv-Fab IgGPicture loading failed.Fab-Fc; ScFv-FcVibecotamab;
M802
XmabTM (the engineered Fc to enhance the generation of heterodimeric Fc);
YBODYTM
Xencor/Amgen; YZYBio
VH1-VH2-CH1-Fc1(G1) x VL2-VL1-CL-Fc2(G1)Picture loading failed.2 binding motif in one half antibodySAR440234CODV-IgTMSanofi
VL1-CL1-VH2-CH2-Fc x VH1-CH1 x VL2-CL2Picture loading failed.2 binding motif in one half antibodyEMB-01FIT-IgTMEPIMAB BIOTHERAPEUTICS
VH-1-TCR Cα x VL-1-TCR Cβ; VH-2-CH-2-Fc x VL-2-CL-2Picture loading failed.KIH technology; TCR Cα/Cβ is used to substitute the CH1 and CL domain in one armWuXibodyTMWuXi Biologics
C-terminal linker of FcPicture loading failed.Link the other molecules at the C-terminal of FcAPVO442ADAPTIR-FLEXTMAptevo Therapeutics
Fc antigen binding sitePicture loading failed.2 natural binding sites; 2 additional binding sites in the Fc loopFS118mAb2F-star Therapeutics