Use of il-23 and il-17 antagonists to treat autoimmune ocular inflammatory disease

Abstract

Novel methods and drug products for treating autoimmune ocular inflammatory disease are disclosed, which involve administration of agents that antagonize one or both of IL-17 and IL-23 activity.

1 . A method of treating a patient with an autoimmune ocular inflammatory disease (AOID), comprising administering to the patient an IL-17 antagonist, wherein the IL-17 antagonist is a monoclonal antibody which specifically binds to and inhibits the activity of IL-17. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the patient has been diagnosed as having an ocular inflammation of putative autoimmune etiology. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a specified dose of the IL-17 antagonist is administered at a specified interval during a first treatment period, wherein the specified interval is once per day, once per week, 2 to 7 times per week, once every other week, and once per month. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first treatment period ends after disappearance of one or more symptoms of the AOID. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the dose of the IL-17 antagonist administered is gradually reduced during a second treatment period that begins upon the end of the first treatment period. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the duration of the second treatment period is at least one year. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the IL-17 antagonist is a humanized monoclonal antibody, a fully human monoclonal antibody or a pegylated monoclonal antibody. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising administering an IL-23 antagonist to the patient during the first treatment period, wherein the IL-23 antagonist is a monoclonal antibody which specifically binds to and inhibits the activity of IL-23, IL-23p19, IL-12p40, IL-23R, IL12RB1 or an IL23R/IL12RB1 complex. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a specified dose of the IL-23 antagonist is administered at a specified interval during the first treatment period, wherein the specified interval is once per day, once per week, 2 to 7 times per week, once every other week, and once per month. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the dose of each of the IL-17 antagonist and the IL-23 antagonist is gradually reduced during a second treatment period that begins upon the end of the first treatment period. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the dose of the IL-17 antagonist is gradually reduced during a second treatment period that begins upon the end of the first treatment period, and wherein the dose of the IL-23 antagonist administered during the second treatment period is the same as the dose administered in the first treatment period, and wherein the second treatment period ends when therapy with the IL-17 antagonist is stopped. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising administering the IL-23 antagonist during a third treatment period that begins upon the end of the second treatment period. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the IL-23 antagonist is a monoclonal antibody which specifically binds to and inhibits the activity of IL-23p19 or IL-23R. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the AOID is chronic uveitis. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the IL-17 antagonist is administered systemically to the patient. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the AOID is chronic uveitis associated with ankylosing spondylitis, Behcet's syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Reiter's syndrome, sarcoidosis, syphilis, tuberculosis or Lyme disease. 
     
     
         17 . A method of prophylactically treating a patient who is diagnosed as being susceptible for an autoimmune ocular inflammatory disease (AOID), the method comprising administering to the patient an IL-17 antagonist, wherein the IL-17 antagonist is a monoclonal antibody which specifically binds to and inhibits the activity of IL-17. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the susceptibility diagnosis is based on the patient having a previous incident of ocular inflammation or is based on the patient having a systemic autoimmune disease. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the AOID is uveitis. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the IL-17 antagonist is administered systemically to the patient.