How Roche Engineers Antibodies to Target Two Different Diseases Simultaneously
A method for creating a custom-engineered antibody that can grab onto two different targets at once, designed to help the immune system fight complex diseases.
Original patent title: “Bivalent, bispecific antibodies”
A method for creating a custom-engineered antibody that can grab onto two different targets at once, designed to help the immune system fight complex diseases. Granted to Hoffmann La Roche Inc in 2018 with 13 claims and 6 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a way to build a bispecific antibody, which is a protein designed to bind to two different antigens (targets) instead of the usual one. It achieves this by swapping the internal building blocks of the antibody's light and heavy chains in one of the two pairs. To ensure these two different pairs connect correctly rather than creating a jumbled mess, the patent uses a 'knob-into-hole' strategy. By modifying the CH3 domains of the heavy chains—adding a bulky amino acid to one (the knob) and a smaller one to the other (the hole)—the antibody is forced to assemble in the exact, functional configuration required.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover standard antibodies that only bind to a single type of antigen.
- Does not cover bispecific antibodies that do not use the specific domain-swapped architecture defined in claimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1.
- Does not cover methods of assembly that rely on techniques other than the described knob-into-hole CH3 domain modification.
- Does not cover the specific therapeutic use or clinical application of the antibodies, only the structural composition and production method.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation is the 'domain exchange' combined with the 'knob-into-hole' structural modification, which prevents the incorrect pairing of antibody chains that typically plagues the production of bispecific proteins.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs)
Cancer immunotherapy drug development
Roche's CrossMab technology platform
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Bispecific antibodies are a major focus in modern oncology because they can act as a bridge, bringing immune cells directly to tumor cells. By enabling a stable, bivalent, bispecific structure, this patent helps solve the manufacturing challenge of ensuring these complex molecules fold correctly, which is essential for developing reliable cancer immunotherapies.
Filed
January 31, 2012
Granted
November 27, 2018
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Hoffmann-La Roche remains a primary developer of this technology, utilizing their CrossMab platform. Other major pharmaceutical companies like Amgen, Regeneron, and Genentech are also actively developing their own proprietary bispecific antibody architectures to compete in the immunotherapy space.
Market impact
This technology has contributed to the proliferation of bispecific antibodies as a distinct class of drugs, moving them from experimental research into clinical pipelines. It provided a scalable way to manufacture these complex proteins, which has been a critical bottleneck in bringing multi-targeting therapies to market.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a way to build a bispecific antibody, which is a protein designed to bind to two different antigens (targets) instead of the usual one. It achieves this by swapping the internal building blocks of the antibody's light and heavy chains in one of the two pairs. To ensure these two different pairs connect correctly rather than creating a jumbled mess, the patent uses a 'knob-into-hole' strategy. By modifying the CH3 domains of the heavy chains—adding a bulky amino acid to one (the knob) and a smaller one to the other (the hole)—the antibody is forced to assemble in the exact, functional configuration required.
The clever bit
The innovation is the 'domain exchange' combined with the 'knob-into-hole' structural modification, which prevents the incorrect pairing of antibody chains that typically plagues the production of bispecific proteins.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover standard antibodies that only bind to a single type of antigen.
- Does not cover bispecific antibodies that do not use the specific domain-swapped architecture defined in claim 1.
- Does not cover methods of assembly that rely on techniques other than the described knob-into-hole CH3 domain modification.
- Does not cover the specific therapeutic use or clinical application of the antibodies, only the structural composition and production method.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
17/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
9/20
Moderate scope
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$126K – $403K
Midpoint $252K · 5.6 yr remaining · industry ×3.0
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
13 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Klein, C., & Schaefer, W. (2018). How Roche Engineers Antibodies to Target Two Different Diseases Simultaneously (U.S. Patent No. 10,138,293). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10138293/opdivo-nivolumab
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Roche Engineers Antibodies to Target Two Different Diseases Simultaneously cover?
A method for creating a custom-engineered antibody that can grab onto two different targets at once, designed to help the immune system fight complex diseases.
Who owns patent US 10138293?
Hoffmann La Roche Inc owns this patent, granted in 2018.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on November 27, 2038, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 10138293 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 6 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Bispecific antibodies are a major focus in modern oncology because they can act as a bridge, bringing immune cells directly to tumor cells. By enabling a stable, bivalent, bispecific structure, this patent helps solve the manufacturing challenge of ensuring these complex molecules fold correctly, which is essential for developing reliable cancer immunotherapies.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover standard antibodies that only bind to a single type of antigen.
Same assignee
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