The Immunoassay Advantage
Choosing oligonucleotide drug candidates during early discovery stages and further assessment of these candidates in the pre-clinical stages of drug development can be time-consuming and laborious. Moreover, assessing pharmacokinetics (PK) by further elucidating absorption, distribution, metabolic, and excretion (ADME) profiles of a given oligonucleotide or multiple oligonucleotides, in addition to understanding pharmacodynamic (PD) properties, and performing immunogenicity studies, is essential to the movement of the best candidates in the pipeline. Although current assays can address these parameters, they have certain disadvantages, such as the need for multiple probes, sequence specificity, decreased sensitivity for larger oligonucleotides, or handling and disposal of radioactive materials.
Immunoassays provide a novel approach for collecting critical data to further shed light on PK/ADME parameters, immunogenicity studies, and combat some disadvantages of the current methods; however, antibody development to oligonucleotides can be challenging and is typically specific to a particular sequence. Rockland has a demonstrated history of successful custom antibody generation against different nucleic acid targets, including modified oligonucleotides and nucleosides, heteroduplexes, and single-stranded and double-stranded DNA and RNAs.