Antibody drugs are monoclonal antibodies that target protein antigens involved in the immune cell signaling system or symptoms appearing on the surface of cancer cells. These antibody drugs are known to have strong binding properties and high specificity to target antigens while having few side effects with high efficacy, and thus have eminent industrial applications. Antibody drugs are now proven to have excellent clinical efficacy, so six of the top 10 blockbuster drugs in the market are known as antibody drugs.

Among the anti-cancer drugs, which are indulging talk in the field of cancer treatment, unlike the conventional anti-cancer drugs that attack the targets of cancer cells, an innovative therapeutic agent that enhances the cancer cell killing ability of immune cells by effectively stimulating the immune system suppressed in the cancer environment. These anti-cancer drugs include immune checkpoint inhibitors (PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA4 inhibitors), immune cell therapies, and oncolytic virus therapies. In particular, the immune checkpoint inhibitor was awarded the Nobel Prize for its high value and clinical effects (cured various cancer patients).

The global biopharmaceutical market is expected to grow from $480 billion in 2023 at an average annual rate of 9%, reaching approximately $807 billion in 2029. In particular, MSD’s Keytruda and BMS’s Opdivo are projected to reach $30 billion and $9.4 billion respectively in 2024, showing strong growth trends. Furthermore, as more novel immune checkpoint targets continue to be discovered, a wider range of cancer treatment options is anticipated in the future.