Serotype-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to support the development of pneumococcal vaccines
Pneumococcal infections, especially pneumonia, are the leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths among children under 5 years of age. Vaccines are a critical strategy to protect children, particularly those in Africa and Asia, where over 90 percent of all pneumococcal deaths occur. However, barriers such as vaccine price and availability often prevent children in low- and middle-income countries from accessing these lifesaving tools. Furthermore, the current vaccines do not target all of the disease-causing pneumococcal serotypes for children in these parts of the world.
PATH has been working with partners to advance the development of new pneumococcal vaccines that are low-cost, broadly protective, and tailored for use in low-resource settings. Providing high-quality and affordable reagents such as monoclonal antibodies will help to ensure that critical pneumococcal vaccines are affordable and accessible to children in low-resource settings.
PATH and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have partnered to offer 46 new serotype-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) reactive with pneumococcal polysaccharides, commonly included in polyvalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines under development. Each of these mAbs is specific to serotypes that represent 29 of those most commonly associated with pneumococcal pneumonia. All mAbs have been evaluated and demonstrate serotype specificity against a panel of the most common PnPS antigens. The panel of mAbs is available in 0.5-milligram aliquots with a certificate of analysis provided.
All antibodies are available directly from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) online catalog of biological reference materials.
Summary listing of monoclonal antibodies available from MHRA