Merck, MABS1214, Anti-PEG (methoxy group) Antibody, clone RM105

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a polyether compound with many applications from industrial manufacturing to medicine. PEG is also known as polyethylene oxide (PEO) or polyoxyethylene (POE), depending on its molecular weight. PEG is a family of long chain polymers attached to a glycerine backbone. Some of the properties of PEG are nonionic, nontoxic, biocompatible, strongly hydrophilic polymer, which has a large exclusion volume in aqueous solution. PEGylation is the act of covalently coupling a PEG structure to another larger molecule, for example, a therapeutic protein, which is then referred to as a PEGylated protein. The covalent attachment of PEG (PEGylation) is commonly used to modify a variety of proteins and drugs. Some of the therapeutical benefits of PEGylated molecules include increased bioavailability, increased blood circulation of the drug, optimized pharmacokinetics, decreased immunogenicity, and decreased frequency of administration. Additional benefits of PEGylated molecules include decelerated renal excretion, improved stability towards proteolysis, increased solubility of the biopharmaceutical in aqueous solutions, increased hydrodynamic radius, reduced immunogenicity and proteolytic cleavage. This antibody reacts to the terminal methoxy group of Polyethylene glycol.