Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government
Government Funding Lapse
Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.

Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.

catumaxomab

A trifunctional bispecific monoclonal antibody with potential antineoplastic activity. Catumaxomab has two antigen-recognition sites: one for human CD3, a T cell surface antigen; and one for human epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), a cell surface antigen expressed by a variety of epithelial tumor cells. In addition, the modified Fc portion of this antibody binds Fc receptors on antigen presenting cells (APCs) such as macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs). Catumaxomab brings T cells, EpCAM-expressing epithelial tumor cells and APCs together into tricellular complexes, which may result in a potent cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response against EpCAM-expressing epithelial tumor cells. Fc-mediated binding of APCs in the tricellular complex potentiates EpCAM antigen presentation to T cells and the activation of anti-tumor cytotoxic T cell functions.
Foreign brand name:Removab
Search NCI's Drug Dictionary