Feasibility study to determine whether a new generation of catalytic antibodies can be made that overcome existing limitations and are suitable for use in a range of clinical settings

Antibodies, produced naturally in our bodies, have been successfully harnessed by the Biopharma

industry to provide a whole new range of safe and effective treatments for unmet patient need. A good

example is the anti-TNF antibodies, which are now in common use for suffers of rheumatoid arthritis.

Most therapeutic antibodies work by binding to a protein responsible for playing a role in the course of

a disease, thereby stifling its ability to cause harm. This success means that a whole range of attendent

technologies and know-how has been built-up to support therapeutic antibody R&D. For some time

there has been speculation that if antibodies could be made to work as catalysts ("abzymes") then they

could become even more efficient drugs. This Early Stage Feasibility Study will see scientists at UCB and

Manchester Institute of Biotechnology collaborate in order to test whether the latest cutting-edge

science is now able to make the breakthrough required for abzymes to at last fulfil their clinical promise.