New humanizing technology

ImmunoGen Inc. (IMGN) has developed a humanized antibody using a new technique called resurfacing, for which IMGN and its collaborators have filed a patent application. IMGN plans to use the technology to develop small molecule drugs linked to humanized antibodies in situations where repeat dosage is necessary, such as treating poorly vascularized solid tumors where the drug has to stay in circulation for a longer time.

IMGN said resurfacing leaves the original antibody framework intact by changing only the surface accessible regions of the antibody to make it appear human. The company believes the method will cause fewer disturbances in the native antibody structure, thus creating a greater likelihood that the humanized antibodies will retain high-affinity binding characteristics than antibodies humanized using conventional complimentarity-determining region (CDR) grafting. ...