Rabbit antibodies are emerging as a unique source of lead candidates for therapeutic applications and as tools for diagnostic assays and for use as research reagents for many reasons.
Higher diversity within antigen binding regions
Rabbit antibodies created from immunized sources have higher affinity compared to mouse antibodies (rabbit antibodies typically possess picomolar KD binding affinities)
Rabbits can respond to antigens that are non-immunogenic in mice
Humanization of rabbits is rather straightforward, as they predominantly use a single VH and VK family that we have experience humanizing
If you are struggling to get the antibody characteristics you need (e.g., specificity, affinity, etc.) consider using rabbit mAbs—they are particularly useful for difficult targets!