CelluTarget · Multifocal Motor Neuropathy · Research Frontiers
Protein & StructuralPublished Research

Engineering antibody Fc regions to change half-life and complement targeting

Overview
Research Summary

The current wave of MMN drug candidates all rely on protein engineering of antibody Fc regions — for example, argenx's NHANCE technology, used in empasiprubart, alters the antibody's interaction with FcRn to extend its half-life in the body. Different companies are also choosing to block different points in the complement cascade (C1q, C1s, or C2), each with different theoretical tradeoffs for efficacy and infection risk. This is a live, unresolved structural biology question: which complement target offers the best balance of blocking nerve damage while preserving enough immune function to fight infection.

Citations
Sources2 sources
Peer-Reviewed
Anti-C2 antibody ARGX-117 (empasiprubart) inhibits complement in a disease model for multifocal motor neuropathy
Published January 2022
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Institutional Research
argenx Immunology Innovation Program — Fc/antibody engineering technologies (NHANCE) applied to empasiprubart
Published January 2024
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