How Scientists Create Human-Friendly Antibodies for Medicine
This patent describes a method for modifying mouse antibodies so human immune systems accept them as their own, allowing them to be used as powerful, long-lasting medical treatments.
Original patent title: “Humanized immunoglobulins”
This patent describes a method for modifying mouse antibodies so human immune systems accept them as their own, allowing them to be used as powerful, long-lasting medical treatments. Granted to Protein Design Labs Inc in 1996 with 15 claims and 4,274 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent details a technique to 'humanize' antibodies originally derived from non-human sources, like mice. Because human bodies often reject mouse antibodies as foreign invaders, the inventors created a way to swap the mouse framework with human-like structures while keeping the specific mouse parts—the Complementarity Determining Regions (CDRs)—that actually grab onto disease targets. The key mechanism involves identifying specific amino acids in the mouse framework that support the shape of the CDRs and keeping those specific 'donor' amino acids in the final humanized version. This ensures the antibody remains effective at binding its target while appearing 'human' enough to avoid triggering an immune attack.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover antibodies that are entirely human in origin (fully human antibodies).
- Does not cover antibodies that use only the donor CDRs without specific framework amino acids that support binding.
- Does not cover non-immunoglobulin proteins or other therapeutic molecules that are not antibodies.
- Does not cover the use of humanized antibodies for non-medical applications.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The inventors realized that simply swapping the CDRs wasn't enough; they mathematically modeled the 3D structure to identify specific 'framework' amino acids that physically touch or support the CDRs, ensuring the antibody didn't lose its shape or binding strength during the humanization process.
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
Daclizumab (Zenapax) for preventing organ transplant rejection
Many early-generation monoclonal antibody cancer therapies
Treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology is the bedrock of modern monoclonal antibody therapy. Before this, mouse antibodies caused severe immune reactions in patients, making them unsuitable for long-term treatment. This patent enabled the development of blockbuster drugs that treat cancer, autoimmune diseases, and inflammatory conditions by making them safe for repeated human use.
Filed
June 7, 1995
Granted
December 17, 1996
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
The technology pioneered by Protein Design Labs (now part of AbbVie) set the standard for the entire biopharmaceutical industry. Major companies like Roche, Genentech, and Novartis have built their entire therapeutic pipelines on the foundation of antibody humanization techniques described here.
Market impact
This patent triggered a massive shift in drug development, moving the industry away from short-term mouse antibody treatments toward long-term, safe humanized therapies. It effectively created the multi-billion dollar monoclonal antibody market, which now produces many of the world's best-selling drugs.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent details a technique to 'humanize' antibodies originally derived from non-human sources, like mice. Because human bodies often reject mouse antibodies as foreign invaders, the inventors created a way to swap the mouse framework with human-like structures while keeping the specific mouse parts—the Complementarity Determining Regions (CDRs)—that actually grab onto disease targets. The key mechanism involves identifying specific amino acids in the mouse framework that support the shape of the CDRs and keeping those specific 'donor' amino acids in the final humanized version. This ensures the antibody remains effective at binding its target while appearing 'human' enough to avoid triggering an immune attack.
The clever bit
The inventors realized that simply swapping the CDRs wasn't enough; they mathematically modeled the 3D structure to identify specific 'framework' amino acids that physically touch or support the CDRs, ensuring the antibody didn't lose its shape or binding strength during the humanization process.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover antibodies that are entirely human in origin (fully human antibodies).
- Does not cover antibodies that use only the donor CDRs without specific framework amino acids that support binding.
- Does not cover non-immunoglobulin proteins or other therapeutic molecules that are not antibodies.
- Does not cover the use of humanized antibodies for non-medical applications.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
40/40
Highly cited
Claim breadth
10/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
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
$135K – $432K
Midpoint $270K · expired or expiring · 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
15 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Queen, C. L., & Selick, H. E. (1996). How Scientists Create Human-Friendly Antibodies for Medicine (U.S. Patent No. 5,585,089). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/5585089/remicade-infliximab
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 Scientists Create Human-Friendly Antibodies for Medicine cover?
This patent describes a method for modifying mouse antibodies so human immune systems accept them as their own, allowing them to be used as powerful, long-lasting medical treatments.
Who owns patent US 5585089?
Protein Design Labs Inc owns this patent, granted in 1996.
When does this patent expire?
This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.
What is patent US 5585089 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 4274 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology is the bedrock of modern monoclonal antibody therapy. Before this, mouse antibodies caused severe immune reactions in patients, making them unsuitable for long-term treatment. This patent enabled the development of blockbuster drugs that treat cancer, autoimmune diseases, and inflammatory conditions by making them safe for repeated human use.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover antibodies that are entirely human in origin (fully human antibodies).
Patent monitoring