Adverse Reactions against Biologicals – Identification and Characterization of Immunogenic Epitopes and Potential Biomarkers

Background: Today there is an increase in the indication for biologicals for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. For example, TNF-alpha blockers are used for the treatment of rheumatic disease, which also affects the lung by pulmonary hypertension and fibrosis. However, during treatment, several clinically relevant side effects occur: loss of drug efficacy, hypersensitivity and anaphylactic reactions which are mediated by IgE antibodies. These conditions lead to a discontinuation of the treatment or a switch to a different therapeutic antibody. Yet there is no existing guideline which specific therap…