Anti-IL-6 antibodies, compositions, methods and uses

An isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding an antibody or antibody fragment that binds and inhibits the activity of human IL-6, comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes at least a portion of a human antibody heavy chain constant region and a heavy chain antibody variable region and a nucleotide sequence encoding at least a portion of a human light chain constant region and a light chain antibody variable region, wherein said antibody heavy chain and light chain variable regions are selected from the group consisting of:

• a heavy chain variable region in which CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 comprise the amino acid sequences SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2 and SEQ ID NO:3, respectively;
• and
• a light chain variable region in which CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 comprise the amino acid sequences SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5 and SEQ ID NO:6, respectively.

Isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding a heavy chain and a light chain of an antibody or antibody fragment that binds and inhibits the activity of human IL-6, wherein said isolated nucleic acid molecules comprise:

• a nucleotide sequence that encodes at least a portion of a human antibody heavy chain constant region and a heavy chain variable region in which CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 comprise the amino acid sequences SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2 and SEQ ID NO:3, respectively;
• and
• a nucleotide sequence that encodes at least a portion of a human antibody light chain constant region and a light chain variable region in CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 comprise the amino acid sequences SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5 and SEQ ID NO:6, respectively.

An isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding the heavy chain of an antibody or antibody fragment that binds and inhibits the activity of human IL-6, comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes at least a portion of a human antibody constant region and a heavy chain variable region in which CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 comprise the amino acid sequences SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2 and SEQ ID NO:3, respectively.

An isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding the light chain of an antibody or antibody fragment that binds and inhibits the activity of human IL-6, comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes at least a portion of a human antibody constant region and a light chain variable region in which CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 comprise the amino acid sequences SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5 and SEQ ID NO:6, respectively.

An isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding an antibody or antibody fragment that binds and inhibits the activity of human IL-6, comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes at least a portion of a human antibody heavy chain and light chain constant region and an antibody heavy chain and light chain variable region, wherein said antibody heavy chain and light chain variable region is selected from the group consisting of:

• a heavy chain variable region in which CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 comprise amino acid sequences that have at least 95% identity to the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2 and SEQ ID NO:3, over the full length thereof respectively;
• and
• a light chain variable region in which CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 comprise the amino acid sequences that have at least 95% identity to the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5 and SEQ ID NO:6, over the full length thereof respectively.

Isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding a heavy chain and a light chain of an antibody or antibody fragment that binds and inhibits the activity of human IL-6, wherein said isolated nucleic acid molecules comprise:

• a nucleotide sequence that encodes at least a portion of a human antibody heavy chain constant region and a heavy chain variable region in which CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 comprise the amino acid sequences that have at least 95% identity to the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2 and SEQ ID NO:3, over the full length thereof respectively;
• and
• a nucleotide sequence that encodes at least a portion of a human antibody light chain constant region and a light chain variable region in CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 comprise the amino acid sequences that have at least 95% identity to the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5 and SEQ ID NO:6, over the full length thereof respectively.