Background
Therapeutic antibodies have garnered significant attention in recent years for their precise ability to target specific diseases. As these molecules become increasingly important in modern medicine, comprehensive data tracking and analysis are crucial to advancing research and ensuring clinical success. While several public (IMGT/mAb-KG, DrugBank, TheraSAbDab) and commercial (Beacon (beacon-intelligence.com)) databases are available, none adequately met our specific objectives due to a lack of key clinical, regulatory, and enterprise milestone data or insufficient comprehensiveness.
YAbS (The Antibody Society's Therapeutic Antibody Database) is an important resource for monitoring the development and clinical progress of therapeutic antibodies. The database contains detailed information on more than 2,900 commercially sponsored investigational antibody drug candidates that have entered clinical trials since 2000, as well as all approved antibody therapies. The YAbS database can be accessed at https://db.antibodysociety.org and currently provides open access to data on more than 450 antibody therapeutics that have been approved, are under regulatory review, or are in late clinical development. The database provides information related to antibodies, including molecular format, targeted antigen, current development status, indications being studied, and the clinical development timeline of the antibody, as well as the geographical region of the company sponsor.
Decoding the YAbS database and antibody therapeutic data
Within the YAbS database, users can quickly search by target, therapeutic area, or company, or use the advanced search page. Within the advanced search page, users can search by molecule name (INN or WREMOCE) or apply filters related to molecule characteristics and clinical development. Antibodies are categorized by various parameters, including antibody format, general class, isotype (Fc), light chain isotype, mAb sequence origin, primary therapeutic area, general development status category, and company information.
Using a database to assess key antibody therapeutic development trends
The database serves as a premier data repository for the current commercial clinical pipeline of antibody therapeutics, providing real-time insights into companies' portfolios and upcoming events. Second, analysis of key variables such as antibody format, target, and indication can identify development trends for innovative antibody therapeutics. Third, the database contains the latest status of all publicly disclosed, commercially sponsored antibody therapeutics first used in humans after January 1, 2000, making it possible to calculate accurate success rates for these molecules. Several success rate analyses derived from data in the YAbS database have been previously published.
Use Case 1 - Evaluating Clinical Molecules
Analysis of the YAbS database revealed that the majority (55%) of antibodies are in active clinical development. Of these, the majority are in early-stage development, with nearly three-quarters in Phase 1 or Phase 2 clinical trials. The majority (66%) are for cancer treatment. Notably, the majority of molecules currently in clinical development originate from companies in China or the United States.
Use Case 2 - Evaluating Trends in Antibody Therapeutics
A database analysis of the annual number of first-in-human (FIH) studies sponsored by commercial companies between 2010 and 2023 revealed significant growth in the development of antibody therapeutics during this period. In particular, the number of bispecific and multispecific antibodies, as well as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), increased significantly. The development of antibodies targeting the HER2 antigen also showed a trend of diversification. In addition to naked monospecific antibodies, HER2 is now the target of ADCs, multispecifics, ADC-multispecifics, immunoconjugates, and radioimmunotherapy antibodies.
Use Case 3 - Evaluating Milestones for Different Therapeutic Molecules
Among the antibody therapeutics that entered clinical development after January 1, 2000, and received FDA approval before December 31, 2023, the majority were cancer therapies. The majority of these treatments were for cancer, and the average development and approval time for antibodies for non-cancer indications was approximately one year longer than for cancer indications. Further stratified by specific therapeutic area, nearly half of the antibodies approved for non-cancer indications were for the treatment of immune-mediated or inflammatory diseases.
Summarize
The YAbS Database is a powerful tool that enhances understanding of the field of antibody therapeutics. One of the key advantages of the YAbS Database is its ability to track antibody therapeutics over time through various stages of development, from preclinical studies to market approval. By providing comprehensive, detailed, and dynamic data, it supports informed decision-making and promotes advancements in therapeutic antibody research and development. The ongoing maintenance and expansion of the database is crucial to keep pace with the rapid development of the field, ensuring it remains a valuable resource for all stakeholders involved in the development of antibody therapeutics.
