Building Better Sandwich Immunoassays: A Toolbox for Biopharma Development Teams
Immunoassay development used to just mean getting a classic plate-based ELISA up and running. Today, that “standard” ELISA has exploded into many antibody pair-based formats, from homogeneous TR‑FRET assays to multiplexed MSD or Luminex panels—each with its own advantages and pitfalls. The data these assays generate is more robust than ever, but so is the risk: as programs evolve and new modalities appear, immunoassay developers must adapt to ensure their assays still measure the right PTM state, isoform, or protein complex in heterogeneous biological matrices.
When a subtle antibody lot change shifts your standard curve just enough that your QC samples are knocked out of the acceptance range, the risk is more than a failed plate. It’s delayed go/no-go decisions, potential regulatory questions, and entire programs put on hold.
That’s why many biopharma teams are rethinking their assay development and supply strategy, looking for a partner who can provide a pipeline-ready toolbox that delivers flexible, reliable, off-the-shelf solutions utilizing antibodies with the specificity and sensitivity required for your program. As their assays evolve, teams can leverage the toolbox and continually return to the same reliable, well‑characterized solutions instead of rebuilding their workflow from scratch.
To meet this need, CST offers a flexible, modular sandwich immunoassay toolbox designed to help de-risk critical stages of sandwich immunoassay development. From matched antibody pairs, to europium and biotin antibody conjugates, to ready-to-use kits and custom labeling services, the CST immunoassay toolbox provides the reagents you need to efficiently build a variety of robust sandwich immunoassays.
The CST immunoassay toolbox is a flexible, platform‑agnostic set of ELISA‑validated antibodies, matched antibody pairs, conjugates, and sandwich immunoassay kits that can be used across drug development programs, from early discovery through late-stage development. The toolbox is designed to enable fine control of sandwich immunoassay development for platforms beyond traditional ELISAs, and to de‑risk antibody pair-based immunoassay development while giving teams room to adapt their assays to new matrices, modalities, and detection platforms over time.
“Starting immunoassay development with rigorously validated matched antibody pairs and ELISA-validated reagents de-risks development and scale‑up,” explains Emily Estabrook, Group Leader, Assay Kits at CST. “And having those same antibodies available in conjugated formats and carrier-free options can mean the difference between a stalled program and a simple reagent swap when you need to shift platforms or adapt to a new modality. We know assay development is ever-changing, so our reagent portfolio is pipeline-ready to reduce risk for our partners.”
Learn more about Solutions for Sandwich Immunoassay Development from CST
CST Toolbox for Sandwich Immunoassay Development
Once you decide you need a sandwich immunoassay, the question becomes: Which parts of the assay do you want to build yourself, and where do you need a partner to help de‑risk the workflow? Our immunoassay toolbox is designed to flex with that choice, from fully optimized and ready-to-use kits to matched antibody pairs and individual ELISA‑validated antibodies, conjugates, and custom options that can be dropped into your existing platforms.
Use the jumplinks below to explore the solutions in our sandwich immunoassay portfolio:
- Ready-to-Use ELISA Kits: For When You Need Answers, Fast
- Matched Antibody Pairs: Building from a Solid Foundation
- Ready-to-Ship Antibody Conjugates to Help Complete Your Assay
- Custom Services That Meet Your Research Needs
Ready-to-Use ELISA Kits: for When You Need Answers, Fast
When you can’t spare headcount to optimize every assay from scratch, CST ELISA kits offer a “drop-in” solution with known performance, especially for high-value post-translational modification (PTMs). Because these kits are assembled from the same ELISA‑validated antibodies and controls that underpin our broader immunoassay toolbox, they also give you a practical starting point for customization.
Ready-to-use sandwich immunoassay solutions from CST include:
PathScan & FastScan Elisa Kits
PathScan and FastScan kits are preconfigured ELISA kits for specific PTMs and total protein levels, built around pre-optimized capture/detection antibody pairs, controls, and detection chemistry.
- PathScan Kits and PathScan RP (Rapid Protocol Kits) use a classic, solid‑phase sandwich ELISA format with pre‑coated plates, delivering a familiar workflow with 384-well or 96‑well formats and lot-to-lot-qualified performance. PathScan RP kits streamline the protocol with a single wash step and shorter time‑to‑results.
- FastScan Kits use a solution-based sandwich format designed for rapid, highly sensitive detection of signaling proteins, with results in as little as 90 minutes. These kits streamline workflows in 384-well or 96-well formats with a single wash step, reducing hands-on time compared to traditional, solid-phase ELISA kits.
- Quantitative Controls for CST ELISA Kits seamlessly integrate with select CST ELISA kits to generate a standard curve. Serving as highly accurate reference standards, these controls enable precise, absolute quantification of your target of interest.
