Therapeutic bispecific antibody formats: a patent applications review (1994-2017).

Bispecific antibodies are progressively accepted as potentially superior therapeutic molecules in a broad range of diseases. This frantic activity creates a maze of hundreds of patents that pose considerable legal risks for both newcomers and established companies. It can consecutively be anticipated that the number of patent conflicts will increase. Nevertheless, it can be expected that patents related to the use of a bispecific antibody will have tremendous commercial value.