Why mAbs Actually Matter?
You might have heard about medicines that end with “-mab” in TV commercials — these are monoclonal antibody drugs used to treat everything from skin problems to cancer.
Monoclonal antibody therapies are becoming more common because a lot of new drugs are made this way (about 1 in 3 new medicines!) and as older ones lose their patents, more options become available.
If you’re interested in learning where to purchase monoclonal antibodies, it’s important to understand how these drugs work and why they are prescribed.
Because of this, many people want to understand what these drugs are and how they work, especially if they or someone they care about is prescribed one.
Want to know what monoclonal antibody drugs are and why they’re important? Keep reading to find out!
What is a Monoclonal Antibody?
A monoclonal antibody is a special protein made in a lab that can find and stick to one specific target, like a germ, virus, or cancer cell.
The word “monoclonal” means all these antibodies are exact copies of one original antibody, and they only attach to one particular target.
Scientists and doctors use monoclonal antibodies for research, to diagnose diseases, and to treat many illnesses like cancer, infections, and autoimmune problems. These treatments have been around since the late 1980s.
Monoclonal antibody drugs work better for some diseases than other treatments because they are very precise — they only attack the problem cells without affecting healthy ones as much. Usually, these drugs are given by injection or through an IV, and sometimes combined with other medicines.
How Do Monoclonal Antibody Drugs Work?
Monoclonal antibodies can work in different ways, sometimes even several ways at once:
- They can attach directly to bad cells and cause those cells to self-destruct.
- They can act like a “flag” that helps the immune system find and destroy harmful cells.
- For some cancers, they can block signals that help cancer cells grow or stop new blood vessels from feeding the tumor.
- They can carry other treatments, like chemotherapy, directly to cancer cells to reduce damage to healthy cells.
Some treatments link one antibody to cancer cells and another to immune cells to help the immune system attack the cancer better.
Why Are Monoclonal Antibodies Important?
Monoclonal antibodies have changed medicine a lot. They are used to treat many health problems, from cancer to allergies to heart disease.
They also help doctors match organs for transplants and blood for transfusions.
Besides treating diseases, they are useful in research and testing for conditions like Alzheimer’s or autoimmune diseases.
They are even part of home testing kits for pregnancy or ovulation, and help track infections like HIV or the flu.
How Is the Quality of Monoclonal Antibody Drugs Ensured?
Because monoclonal antibodies are made using living cells, there can be small differences between batches. To make sure the medicines are safe and work well, companies test them carefully.
They check for possible contamination from the cells used to make the antibodies or from other sources. They also make sure the antibodies don’t have broken parts or clumps that might cause problems.
Experts and organizations work together to create standards and tests to keep the quality of these drugs high.
Availability of Monoclonal Antibody Drugs
More monoclonal antibody drugs are becoming available because technology has made it easier and cheaper to produce them.
As patents expire on some of these drugs, similar versions called biosimilars are entering the market.
Many new monoclonal antibody treatments are also being tested and approved, so we can expect even more options in the future. You can find and purchase these products through AAA Biotech.