Design of next-generation protein therapeutics

Since the first protein therapeutics were approved two decades ago, the field has seen a transition from the development of naturally occurring proteins to design of molecules engineered for optimal target recognition, pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and therapeutic function. Many modified antibodies and monovalent or multispecific antibody-like molecules with custom profiles are in different stages of drug development. In addition, several non-antibody protein scaffolds that interrogate a broad range of targets are being pursued. As protein engineering efforts have expanded and diversified, it has become increasingly important to understand the biophysical and biochemical properties of proteins and to translate this knowledge into design of optimized pharmaceutical agents.