daclizumab beta

Daclizumab beta (DAC HYP) is a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets CD25, the alpha subunit of the high-affinity interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor. Developed by Biogen and AbbVie, it was specifically formulated for subcutaneous administration to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The "high-yield process" (HYP) version of daclizumab has an identical amino acid sequence to the original daclizumab (Zenapax) but features a distinct glycosylation pattern that reduces antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). Its mechanism of action involves blocking CD25 on activated T cells, which modulates IL-2 signaling and leads to the expansion of immunoregulatory CD56bright natural killer (NK) cells that suppress autoreactive T cell activity. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) investigated this drug in Phase I trials specifically for patients with high-inflammatory MS. Although it received regulatory approval, Zinbryta was withdrawn from the global market in 2018 due to safety concerns regarding serious inflammatory brain disorders, including immune-mediated encephalitis.

Brand names

Zinbryta

Other names

daclizumab high-yield processDAC-HYP-National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)-multiple sclerosis