Antibodies Directed To GPNMB And Uses Thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides fully human monoclonal antibodies that specifically bind to GPNMB, and uses thereof. Nucleotide sequences encoding, and amino acid sequences comprising, heavy and light chain immunoglobulin molecules, particularly sequences corresponding to contiguous heavy and light chain sequences spanning the framework regions and/or complementarity determining regions (CDRs) are provided. The present invention also provides immunoconjugates comprising anti-GPNMB antibodies and methods of using such immunoconjugates. The present invention further provides bi-specific antibodies comprising an anti-GPNMB antibody component and an anti-CD3 component, and methods of using such bispecific antibodies.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of treating cancer by administering to a patient in need thereof an isolated monoclonal human antibody that specifically binds GPNMB comprising a combination of a variable heavy chain and a variable light chain selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) the variable heavy chain amino acid sequence of: SEQ ID NO: 20 and the variable light chain amino acid sequence of: SEQ ID NO: 29;   (b) the variable heavy chain amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:74 and the variable light chain amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 83;   (c) the variable heavy chain amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 164 and the variable light chain amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 173;   (d) the variable heavy chain amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 38 and the variable light chain amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 47; and   (e) the variable heavy chain amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 310 and the variable light chain amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 319.   
     
     
         2 . A method of treating cancer by administering to a patient in need thereof an isolated monoclonal human antibody that specifically binds GPNMB comprising a heavy chain polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence comprising three complementarity determining regions (CDRs) and a light chain polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence comprising three CDRs, where the three heavy chain CDRs and the three light chain CDRS are selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) a heavy chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 22, a heavy chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 24, a heavy chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 26, a light chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 31, a light chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence 33, and a light chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 35;   (b) a heavy chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 40, a heavy chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 42, a heavy chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 44, a light chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 49, a light chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence 51, and a light chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 53;   (c) a heavy chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 76, a heavy chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 78, a heavy chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 80, a light chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 85, a light chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence 87, and a light chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 89;   (d) a heavy chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 166, a heavy chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 168, a heavy chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 170, a light chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 175, a light chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence 177, and a light chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 179; and   (e) a heavy chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 312, a heavy chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 314, a heavy chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 316, a light chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 321, a light chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence 323, and a light chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 325.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the antibody is selected from the group consisting of: Mab1.15.1, Mab1.2.2, Mab2.10.2, Mab2.22.1, and Mab2.6.1. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said antibody is an IgG1 antibody. 
     
     
         5 . A method of treating cancer by administering to a patient in need thereof an immunoconjugate comprising the antibody of  claim 2  and a cytotoxic agent. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said antibody comprises a heavy chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 22, a heavy chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 24, a heavy chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 26, a light chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 31, a light chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence 33, and a light chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 35. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the cytotoxic agent is auristatin E (dolastatin-10). 
     
     
         8 . A method of treating cancer by administering to a patient in need thereof a pharmaceutical composition comprising the immunoconjugate of  claim 5 . 
     
     
         9 . A method of treating cancer by administering to a patient in need thereof a single chain Fv antibody that specifically binds GPNMB, wherein the anti-GPNMB single chain Fv antibody comprises a VL domain of a monoclonal human anti-GPNMB antibody linked to a VH domain of said anti-GPNMB antibody, wherein the VL domain comprises an amino acid sequence comprising three complementarity determining regions (CDRs) and the VH domain comprises an amino acid sequence comprising three CDRs, where the three heavy chain CDRs and the three light chain CDRS are selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) a heavy chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 22, a heavy chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 24, a heavy chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 26, a light chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 31, a light chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence 33, and a light chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 35;   (b) a heavy chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 40, a heavy chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 42, a heavy chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 44, a light chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 49, a light chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence 51, and a light chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 53;   (c) a heavy chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 76, a heavy chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 78, a heavy chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 80, a light chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 85, a light chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence 87, and a light chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 89;   (d) a heavy chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 166, a heavy chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 168, a heavy chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 170, a light chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 175, a light chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence 177, and a light chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 179; and   (e) a heavy chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 312, a heavy chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 314, a heavy chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 316, a light chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 321, a light chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence 323, and a light chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 325.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the single chain Fv antibody further comprises a single chain Fv antibody that specifically binds CD3, wherein the anti-CD3 single chain Fv antibody comprises a VH domain of an anti-CD3 antibody linked to a VL domain of said anti-CD3 antibody. 
     
     
         11 . A method of treating cancer by administering to a patient in need thereof an immunoconjugate comprising the single chain Fv antibody of  claim 9  and a cytotoxic agent. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the single chain Fv antibody comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 355. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the single chain Fv antibody comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 357 or SEQ ID NO: 359. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said immunoconjugate has a concentration of 5 mg/ml. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the pharmaceutical composition further comprising sucrose, histidine, histidine hydrochloride monohydrate, and polysorbate 20. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises 5 mg/ml of the immunoconjugate, 10% sucrose, 10 mM histidine, 10 mM histidine hydrochloride monohydrate, and 0.02% (w/v) polysorbate 20. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the cytotoxic agent is auristatin E (dolastatin-10). 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said immunoconjugate has a concentration of 5 mg/ml. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the immunoconjugate is administered in the form of a pharmaceutical composition comprising 5 mg/ml of the immunoconjugate, 10% sucrose, 10 mM histidine, 10 mM histidine hydrochloride monohydrate, and 0.02% (w/v) polysorbate 20. 
     
     
         20 . A method of treating cancer by administering to a patient in need thereof an isolated monoclonal human antibody that specifically binds GPNMB wherein said antibody comprises a heavy chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 22, a heavy chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 24, a heavy chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 26, a light chain CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 31, a light chain CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence 33, and a light chain CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 35. 
     
     
         21 . A method of treating cancer by administering to a patient in need thereof an isolated monoclonal human antibody that specifically binds GPNMB comprising the variable heavy chain amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 20, and the variable light chain amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 29. 
     
     
         22 . A method of treating cancer by administering to a patient in need thereof an isolated monoclonal human antibody that specifically binds GPNMB which is Mab 1.15.1. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the antibody is administered in the form of an immunoconjugate comprising a cytotoxic agent. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the antibody is administered in the form of an immunoconjugate comprising a cytotoxic agent. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the antibody is administered in the form of an immunoconjugate comprising a cytotoxic agent.