Antibodies are the fastest growing group of biotherapeutics. In early 2020 more than 100 antibody-based molecules, including biosimilars, had been approved globally. Oncology and inflammatory disorders remain the major therapeutic areas for antibody-based molecules but there is a growing interest in using mAbs for treating infectious disease. During the last 10 years antibody engineering focussed on development of “fit-for-purpose” antibodies with modulated effector functions such as increased or muted antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), and to increase half-life. This paper summarises approaches for modulating antibody effector functions and pharmacokinetics, and provides examples of antibodies in clinical studies employing such approaches.
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