Biopharmaceutical Development
Unlike pharmaceuticals, which are low molecular weight compounds chemically synthesized for use as drugs, biopharmaceuticals are high molecular weight therapeutics derived from living systems. These complex biomolecules include monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, cytokines, hormones, clotting factors, and various cell- and gene-based therapies, all of which make up a rapidly evolving market.
To support biopharmaceutical development, we offer a comprehensive selection of research reagents. Included within our product portfolio are monoclonal antibodies recognizing various adeno-associated virus (AAV) particles, a diverse array of biosimilars, and a range of immune checkpoint antibodies to accelerate immunotherapy research. All these are backed by our 100% quality guarantee, for results you can trust.
Gene therapy
Gene therapy introduces genetic material into cells to treat a disease, for example providing a functional version of a mutated gene to achieve production of an essential protein (augmented gene therapy), or supplying a gene encoding a product that inhibits unwanted gene activity (inhibited gene therapy). Although this sounds relatively straightforward, a major challenge faced by researchers lies in delivering the genetic material to the cells so that it can exert its downstream effect.
With the ability to infect both dividing and non-dividing cells with ease, while benefiting from a simple structure that is highly amenable to engineering, AAV-derived vectors are among the most frequently used viral vectors for human gene therapy. This is evidenced by multiple clinical trials worldwide, including phase III trials for indications such as advanced metastatic prostate cancer and hemophilia A. Recently, AAV-derived vectors have also proven successful as delivery devices for CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) DNA editing machinery.
At ARP, we’re driving gene therapy research with our extensive range of AAV reagents, vectors, and kits. These include literature-cited antibodies against AAV particles, capsid proteins, and replicases, as well as high quality ELISA kits, and Cas9 gene editing reagents.
Research-grade biosimilars
As approved biopharmaceuticals near the end of their patented life, many researchers aim to capitalize on the success of these products by developing biosimilars. With no clinically meaningful differences from the original product in terms of safety, efficacy, or purity, biosimilars provide an opportunity to rapidly gain market share through competitive pricing. This has a knock-on effect of expanding patient access to essential therapeutics, highlighting the importance of biosimilar development to meet a defined medical need.
We offer a range of research use only (RUO) biosimilar antibodies as an alternative to purchasing expensive and often difficult to obtain therapeutic drugs. These are available in both the original human format and as chimeric rabbit antibodies for increased experimental flexibility and are supplied in buffer free of the excipients common to many marketed biologic drugs. Our growing range currently includes RUO versions of the following:
Adalimumab, Arcitumomab, Basiliximab, Bevacizumab, Campath-1H, Cetuximab, Clenoliximab, Daclizumab, Efalizumab, Humicade, Infliximab, Matuzumab, Oxelumab, Rituximab, Ruplizumab, Satumomab, Tocilizumab, Trastuzumab, Volociximab.
Immunotherapy targets
Immunotherapy uses biopharmaceuticals to exploit the body’s immune system, for instance employing monoclonal antibodies to target specific cells for immune destruction. It has received widespread interest within the field of immuno-oncology, in part due to the ability of cancer cells to evade the immune response by blocking immune checkpoints, however immunotherapy also has significant utility in treating allergies, autoimmune diseases, and various other medical conditions.
Many immune checkpoints are receptors that are activated by interaction with a ligand, and a large number have been implicated in cancer development and progression. As just one example, PD-1 is expressed by activated T-cells and plays a key role in subsiding immune responses, whereas its ligand (PD-L1) is over-expressed in several tumors. This finding has led researchers to target the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction, with the monoclonal antibody therapies nivolumab and pembrolizumab both demonstrating clinical success in treating melanoma.
We provide a wide range of antibodies to immune checkpoint targets to support your biopharmaceutical development research. These include monoclonals against 2B4, 4-1BBL, CD40, CD86, OX40, PD-L1, and many other immune checkpoints. In addition, we offer biosimilars such as anti-OX40L (Oxelumab) and anti-CD40L (Ruplizumab).
