Prevention and treatment of amyloidogenic disease

Abstract

The invention provides improved agents and methods for treatment of diseases associated with amyloid deposits of Aβ in the brain of a patient. Such methods entail administering agents that induce a beneficial immunogenic response against the amyloid deposit. The methods are useful for prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Preferred agents including N-terminal fragments of Aβ and antibodies binding to the same.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising a chimeric or humanized antibody that specifically binds to an epitope within residues 3-6 of Aβ and a pharmaceutical carrier.  
     
     
         2 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 2 , which is a sustained release composition.  
     
     
         3 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 2 , wherein the carrier is a physiologically acceptable diluent for parenteral administration.  
     
     
         4 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising a chimeric or humanized antibody that specifically binds to an epitope within residues 3-6 of Aβ and a pharmaceutical carrier, wherein the isotype of the antibody is human IgG1.  
     
     
         5 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 4 , which is a sustained release composition.  
     
     
         6 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 4 , wherein the carrier is a physiologically acceptable diluent for parenteral administration.