Around of half global pharma revenues comprised of MAb products, new report finds

The overall industry pipeline for monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) has reached an unprecedented scale, now accounting for almost 3,000 distinct pipeline programs across a range of therapy areas.

According to business intelligence provider GBI Research’s latest report: ‘Monoclonal Antibodies – Global Trends in the Competitive, Technological, and R&D Landscape,’ the largest and fastest growing segment of biologics are MAbs. In 2016, global sales revenues for MAb products totalled over $90 billion, accounting for about half of total revenue accrued by all biopharmaceuticals. An estimated record number of MAb approvals is forecast for 2017, which will only increase this value further.

Antibodies, otherwise known as immunoglobulins (Ig), are large, Y-shaped glycoproteins produced by immune cells in response to pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses. They constitute of two large heavy polypeptide chains and two smaller light polypeptide chains. The development of MAbs has not only impacted the therapeutic market, but has also provided a novel tool for diagnostics and scientific research, primarily in oncology and immunology, but more recently in a wide range of disease areas.