Jetrea and NovoThirteen are both produced in yeast-based systems. Jetrea contains a 27 kDa proteolytic enzyme and is used to treat vitreomacular adhesion. The condition is characterized by abnormal adherence of the vitreous gel within the eye to the retina, potentially leading to distortion or loss of vision. The adherence is mediated by vitreous proteins including laminin, fibronectin, and collagen, which are targeted by the product. NovoThirteen contains the A subunit of blood factor XIII and is used to treat congenital factor XIII A subunit deficiency.
Perjeta contains a humanized mAb that targets the extracellular dimerization domain of the human epidermal growth factor 2 protein (HER 2), found in association with a significant proportion of breast tumours. It binds to a different element of the HER-2 protein than does the previously approved Herceptin, and the product is used in combination with Herceptin (and docetaxel) in the treatment of HER-2 positive metastatic breast cancer.
The final product listed in Table I is Zaltrap, a recombinant fusion protein consisting of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-binding portions derived from VEGF receptors 1 and 2, fused to the Fc portion of a human IgG. The resultant 115 kDa dimeric glycoprotein acts as a soluble receptor for human VEGF, thereby preventing/reducing the biological activity of the latter. Zaltrap is approved for treatment of colorectal cancer, and the active ingredient is also marketed in a different formulation as Eylea, approved in 2011 for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration.
Gary Walsh, Industrial Biochemistry Program, Dept. of Chemical and Environmental Sciences and the Materials and Surface Science Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick City, Ireland, [email protected]
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