The monoclonal antibodies are recombinant drugs that have specific biological targets and produce an effect depending on said target. Together with the kinase inhibitors they make up the “nibs and mabs”, new-age drugs whose pronunciation is the bane of the modern physician.
The majority of the information hereunder is collected from the datasheets for the monoclonal antibodies available in New Zealand at the time of writing.
The author will not attempt to keep the specifics of production cell lines and manufacturing technologies up to date. For your reference, the dates of writing and the datasheet will be cited. I cannot promise this will be complete or up to date either.
Adalimumab
Target: tumour necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) Subclass: human IgG1 Indication: rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), others
Denosumab
Target: receptor activator of nucler factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) Subclass: human IgG2 Indication: osteoporosis
Idarucizumab
Target: dabigatran Subclass: humanised Fab fragment Indication: dabigatran reversal
Infliximab
Target: TNF-alpha Antibody: human-murine IgG1 Indications: rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, IBD, others
Risankizumab
Target: interleukin-23 (IL-23) Subclass: humanised IgG1 Indications: IBD, plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis
Rituximab
Target: Cluster of differentiation 20 (CD20) Subclass: glycosylated human-murine IgG1 Indication: some of the CD20+ lymphomas, rheumatoid arthritis, various other B-cell mediated diseases
Secukinumab
Target: IL-17a Subclass: human IgG1 Indications: rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis
Tocilizumab
Target: IL-6 Subclass: humanised IgG1 Indications: rheumatoid arthritis, giant cell arteritis
Ustekinumab
Target: IL-12, IL-23 Subclass: human IgG1 Indications: psoriatic arthritis, IBD