The naming convention of monoclonal antibodies indicates their degree of humanization. An antibody ending in the suffix '-zumab' (for example, rituximab excepted, such as trastuzumab or bevacizumab) belongs to which class?
- A Murine antibody
- B Chimeric human-mouse antibody
- C Humanized antibody ✓
- D Fully human antibody
Correct answer: C. Humanized antibody
Explanation
The suffix encodes origin: '-omab' denotes murine, '-imab' chimeric (mouse variable regions grafted onto human constant regions, as in rituximab and cetuximab), '-zumab' humanized (only the CDR loops are murine, as in trastuzumab and bevacizumab), and '-mumab' fully human (as in panitumumab and ipilimumab). The most tempting distractor is B, chimeric, but those end in '-imab'. This classification predicts immunogenicity, with fully human and humanized agents being least antigenic.
Reference: Katzung Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, 15th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.