Therapeutic bispecific antibody formats: a patent applications review (1994-2017)

Bispecific antibodies have become increasingly of interest by enabling new therapeutic applications such as retargeting cellular immunity towards tumor cells. About 23 bispecific antibody platforms have therefore been developed, generating about 62 molecules which are currently being evaluated for potential treatment of a variety of indications, such as cancer and inflammatory diseases, among which three molecules were approved. This class of drugs will represent a multi-million-dollar market over the coming years. Many companies have consequently invested in the development of bispecific antibody platforms, creating an important patent activity in this field.

The present review gives an overview of the patent literature over the period 1994-2017 of different immunoglobulin gamma-based bispecific antibody platforms and the molecules approved or in clinical trials.

Bispecific antibodies are progressively accepted as potentially superior therapeutic molecules in a broad range of diseases. This frantic activity creates a maze of hundreds of patents that pose considerable legal risks for both newcomers and established companies. It can consecutively be anticipated that the number of patent conflicts will increase. Nevertheless, it can be expected that patents related to the use of a bispecific antibody will have tremendous commercial value.