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Nature 440, 855-856 (13 April 2006) | doi:10.1038/440855a; Published online 12 April 2006

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Can super-antibody drugs be tamed?

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As it becomes clear that the London clinical trial disaster was indeed the fault of the drug itself, Michael Hopkin looks at what went wrong, and whether there is any future for 'superagonist' antibody therapies.

There was no warning from animal tests, but last month the experimental antibody drug TGN1412 put six British men in intensive care. The resulting investigation ruled out any failure of experimental and regulatory procedures — a relief for those involved, but a damaging blow for the field.