The discovery of a hybridoma technology to generate monoclonal antibodies from immunized mice was first reported by George Köhler and César Milstein in 1975. To make this discovery, they developed a lymphocyte fusion technique that allowed selection of monoclonal antibodies of refined specificity and affinity. They received a Noble Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1984 for this breakthrough innovation.

The use of monoclonal antibodies as drugs has advanced significantly over the last three decades particularly in the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. The precise and reproducible specificity of these antibodies against disease targets allows them to act as high-affinity antagonists to neutralize or block molecular events leading to the attenuation or prevention of disease processes.