Alemtuzumab
LemtradaUniProt P31358 · 3D model
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A lab-made antibody that latches onto CD52, a marker found on certain immune cells, flagging those cells for destruction and letting the immune system slowly rebuild.
How it works
This antibody finds and sticks to a marker called CD52 that sits on the surface of certain immune cells. Once attached, it tags those cells for destruction — the body's own defenses move in and clear them out. In multiple sclerosis, doctors believe this reset of certain immune cells, wiping them out and letting the body slowly regrow a new set, helps calm the disease.
What it’s used for
Today this drug (as Lemtrada) is used for certain forms of relapsing multiple sclerosis in adults, typically only after someone has already tried and not responded well to at least two other MS treatments. The same active drug was originally sold under a different name, Campath, to treat a type of blood cancer, though that product is no longer on the market today.
- Mechanism
- CD52 antagonist (mAb)
- Drug class
- Monoclonal antibody
- Therapeutic area
- Oncology / Neurology