Antibodies against amyloid-beta peptide

Abstract

Antibodies that bind human β-amyloid peptide, methods of treating diseases or disorders characterised by elevated β-amyloid levels or β-amyloid deposits with said antibodies, pharmaceutical compositions comprising said antibodies and methods of manufacture.

1 . A method of treating Alzheimer's disease in a human patient comprising administering to the patient an effective amount of an isolated antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof which binds β-amyloid peptide and which comprises the following CDRs: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
               
                     
                   CDRH1: 
                 
                     
                   (SEQ ID No: 1) 
                 
                     
                   DNGMA 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   CDRH2: 
                 
                     
                   (SEQ ID No: 2) 
                 
                     
                   FISNLAYSIDYADTVTG 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   CDRH3: 
                 
                     
                   (SEQ ID No: 3) 
                 
                     
                   GTWFAY 
                 
             
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
         within a human heavy chain variable region originating from the VH3 gene family and: 
       
       
         
           
                 
                 
               
                     
                   CDRL1: 
                 
                     
                   (SEQ ID No: 4) 
                 
                     
                   RVSQSLLHSNGYTYLH 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   CDRL2: 
                 
                     
                   (SEQ ID No: 5) 
                 
                     
                   KVSNRFS 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   CDRL3: 
                 
                     
                   (SEQ ID No: 6) 
                 
                     
                   SQTRHVPYT 
                 
             
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
         within a human light chain variable region originating from the amino acid sequence disclosed in GenPept entry CAA51135 (SEQ ID No:24). 
       
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the isolated antibody has the human heavy chain variable region which originates from a V gene selected from the group consisting of: VH3-48, VH3-21, VH3-11, VH3-7, VH3-13, VH3-74, VH3-64, VH3-23, VH3-38, VH3-53, VH3-66, VH3-20, VH3-9 and VH3-43. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the isolated antibody has a human acceptor heavy chain framework of M99675 (SEQ ID No:21) together with a framework 4. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the isolated antibody has the framework 4 sequence encoded by the human JH4 minigene (Kabat): 
       
         
           
                 
                 
               
                     
                   (SEQ ID No: 23) 
                 
                     
                   YFDYWGQGTLVTVSS 
                 
             
                
                
               
            
           
         
         of which the initial four residues which fall within the CDR3 region is replaced by the incoming CDR from a donor antibody. 
       
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the isolated antibody has a human acceptor heavy chain framework of M99675 together with JH4 containing one to four amino acid residue substitutions selected from positions 24, 48, 93 and/or 94 (Kabat numbering). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the isolated antibody has a human acceptor heavy chain framework which comprises the following residues: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Position 
                   Residue 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                 
                 
               
                   (i) 
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   93 
                   V 
                 
                     
                   94 
                   S 
                 
                 
               
                   or 
                 
                   (ii) 
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   24 
                   V 
                 
                     
                   93 
                   V 
                 
                     
                   94 
                   S 
                 
                 
               
                   or 
                 
                   (iii) 
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   48 
                   I 
                 
                     
                   93 
                   V 
                 
                     
                   94 
                   S 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
               
               
                
               
            
             
                
               
            
             
                
                
               
            
             
                
                
               
            
             
                
                
                
               
            
             
                
                
               
            
             
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the isolated antibody binds β-amyloid peptide comprising a V H  chain having the sequence set forth in SEQ ID No:26 and a V L  domain having the sequence set forth in SEQ ID No:32. 
     
     
         8 . A method of treating Alzheimer's disease in a human patient comprising administering to the patient an effective amount of an isolated antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof which binds β-amyloid peptide and which comprises a V H  chain having the sequence set forth in SEQ ID No: 28 and a V L  domain having the sequence set forth in SEQ ID No:32. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the isolated antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof binds β-amyloid peptide 1-12 (SEQ ID No:15) with equilibrium constant KD less than 100 pM and has an equilibrium constant KD for binding to b-amyloid peptide 2-13 (SEQ ID No:44) which is 1000-fold greater than that for peptide 1-12 (SEQ ID No:15), both determinations being made in a surface plasmon resonance assay utilising peptide captured on streptavidin chip. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the isolated antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof binds β-amyloid peptide 1-40 with equilibrium constant KD less than 10 nM and has an equilibrium constant KD for binding to b-amyloid peptide 2-13 (SEQ ID No:44) which is 1000-fold greater than that for peptide 1-12 (SEQ ID No:15), both determinations being made in the surface plasmon resonance assay described in Method B of the Examples. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the isolated antibody according claim to 1 is of IgG1 isotype. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the isolated antibody essentially lacks the functions of an activation of complement by the classical pathway; and b) mediating antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the isolated antibody in which residues 235 and 237 have been mutated to alanine. 
     
     
         14 . A method of treating Alzheimer's disease in a human patient comprising administering to the patient an effective amount of an isolated antibody comprising a heavy chain having the sequence set forth in SEQ ID No:34, 36 or 38 and a light chain having the sequence set forth in SEQ ID No:40. 
     
     
         15 . A method of  claim 14  in which the antibody comprises a V H  chain having the sequence set forth in SEQ ID No:36 and a V L  domain having the sequence set forth in SEQ ID No:40. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the isolated antibody or a fragment thereof binds  β -amyloid peptide comprising a V H  domain having the sequence: SEQ ID No:17 and a V L  domain having the sequence: SEQ ID No:19.