Interleukin-6 antagonists
AssigneeMerck Patent GmbH
InventorsJeffrey Way, Stephen Gillies, Kin-Ming Lo, Yuan Liu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides an isolated IL-6 antagonist including an antibody variable region that prevents IL-6 from binding to gp130. The present invention also provides compositions and methods for treating IL-6 related diseases based on the IL-6 antagonists of the invention.
Claims27
An isolated IL-6 antagonist comprising an antibody variable region and an Fc region, wherein the antibody variable region prevents IL-6 complexed with IL-6Ralpha from binding to gp130 and the Fc region is derived from a human antibody.
An isolated IL-6 antagonist comprising an antibody variable region, wherein the antibody variable region binds to an epitope on IL-6 comprising an amino acid selected from the group consisting of Leu19, Arg24, Lys27, Arg30, Tyr31, Asp34 and Trp157 such that the binding sterically blocks the interaction between IL-6 and gp130.
A method for treating a disease in a patient, the method comprising administering to the patient a protein comprising an antibody V region, wherein the antibody V region sterically blocks an interaction between IL-6 and gp130.
A method of generating an IL-6 antagonist, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) generating antibodies against a complex of IL-6 and IL-6Ralpha by immunizing an animal with a composition comprising IL-6 and IL-6Ralpha;
- and
- (b) identifying an antibody that inhibits the interaction between gp130 and IL-6.
An antibody specific for a complex of IL-6 and IL-6Ralpha, wherein the antibody prevents IL-6 from binding to gp130.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.