The World Health Organization (WHO) recently introduced new definitions for the assignment of antibody international nonproprietary names (INN). Linear protein sequence is now used to define humanness, which is a substantial change in the method by which therapeutic antibodies were previously classified as chimeric, humanized or human. The new definitions are scientifically flawed, provide results that are inconsistent with names of many existing antibody therapeutics, and do not consider advances in antibody technology and antibody development experience.
The Antibody Society will represent the Antibody Community at large at the WHO’s Open Session at the 62nd consultation on INN for pharmaceutical substances in Geneva on April 12, 2016, and we will request modifications that address the problems with the new system.
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The Antibody Society’s presentation at the WHO’s Open Session on April 12, 2016 is available to Society members. Please log in to access the presentation, located on the Presentations page in the Members Only section.
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