BBB-conquering antibodies

Roche has developed a new transferrin receptor-targeting strategy that dramatically increased delivery of an antibody to the brain.¹ The key advance was slimming the technology, dubbed Brain Shuttle, down to a single transferrin receptor-binding antibody fragment. The pharma showed proof of concept in mice by delivering an anti-b-amyloid mAb and now needs to adapt the system for primate brains.

The blood brain barrier (BBB) is composed of endothelial cells that allow the passive exchange of smaller, lipophilic molecules between blood and the brain parenchyma but are impermeable to larger, more hydrophobic molecules such as many biologics...