Ibalizumab


Ibalizumab is a non-immunosuppressive humanised monoclonal antibody that binds CD4, the primary receptor for HIV, and inhibits HIV from entering cells. It is a post-attachment inhibitor, blocking HIV from binding to the CCR5 and CXCR4 co-receptors after HIV binds to the CD4 receptor on the surface of a CD4 cell. Post-attachment inhibitors are a sub-class of HIV drugs called entry inhibitors.
In a Phase 3 trial with 48 weeks of follow-up, HIV patients with multi-drug resistance tolerated ibalizumab well in combination with other treatments, and 59% of patients achieved viral suppression.
On March 6, 2018, FDA approved ibalizumab for multidrug-resistant HIV-1. It is administered intravenously every 14 days by a trained medical professional. It is used in combination with other antiretroviral drugs.

Development

Ibalizumab is being developed by TaiMed Biologics but was originally developed by Tanox, now part of Genentech. As part of Genentech's takeover of Tanox, the patent for ibalizumab was sold to TaiMed Biologics, a biotech company formed in 2007 with support from the Taiwanese Government through a $20 million investment by the state-owned National Development Fund.
Milestones for the intravenous infusion dosage form: