Abstract

Monoclonal antibodies have become important treatments for cancer, inflammation and a wide range of other diseases, representing an increasing share of the most successful pharmaceutical markets. The technologies to discover these drugs have been developed by select centers of excellence in industry and academia, and are continually being fine tuned in the race to identify the best antibody-based drug candidates and accelerate their paths to patients. The objective of this volume is to provide a series of guides to those evaluating and preparing to enter particular areas within the field and to offer specialized perspectives to established researchers. The chapters set into context the significance of key developments and important considerations for selecting different approaches, such as antibody humanization, isotype selection, lead candidate selection criteria and protein production. All contributors to this work are experts in their fields, and many have played pivotal roles in the creation of these technologies.