Konstantin Yenkoyan: Emicizumab and the Power of Translational Science
Konstantin Yenkoyan, Scientist in Chief at Cobrain Center, Vice Rector for science at Yerevan State Medical University named after Mkhitar Heratsi, shared a post on LinkedIn about a recent article by Takehisa Kitazawa, published in Lasker Foundation, adding:
“When Basic Science Meets Translational Impact 2026 Lasker Clinical Award
What if, instead of replacing a missing protein, we could recreate its function with an entirely different molecule? This conceptually simple but unconventional idea lies behind the 2026 Lasker DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award.
Kunihiro Hattori, Takehisa Kitazawa, and Tomoyuki Igawa from Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. were recognized for developing emicizumab, a bispecific antibody that transformed the treatment of hemophilia A.
In hemophilia A, deficiency of Factor VIII disrupts normal blood coagulation. Instead of replacing Factor VIII itself, the researchers asked whether an engineered antibody could mimic its function.
Emicizumab binds Factor IXa and Factor X simultaneously, bringing them together and restoring a critical step in the coagulation cascade.
This elegant molecular concept became a subcutaneously administered therapy that can prevent bleeding even in patients who develop inhibitors against Factor VIII, while its long half-life allows substantially less frequent administration than conventional Factor VIII replacement.
More than 30,000 people worldwide have received emicizumab, and its impact extends beyond hemophilia: the work helped expand the possibilities of bispecific antibody engineering across medicine.
A beautiful example of translational science: understand the biological function lead to reimagine how to reproduce it lead to engineer the molecule lead to transform patient care.
Congratulations to Kunihiro Hattori, Takehisa Kitazawa, and Tomoyuki Igawa on this outstanding recognition!”
Title: Bispecific antibody for treating hemophilia A
Authors: Takehisa Kitazawa, Kunihiro Hattori, Tomoyuki Igawa
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