Methods of therapy for B-cell malignancies using antagonist anti-CD40 antibodies

A method for treating a patient with a disease comprising malignant B cells, said method comprising administration of a therapeutically effective amount of a conjugated human anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody or a conjugated antigen-binding fragment thereof to said patient, wherein said conjugated anti-CD40 antibody or conjugated fragment thereof exhibits antagonist activity when said conjugated antibody or conjugated fragment thereof binds a CD40 antigen on a malignant human B cell, wherein said conjugated human anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody comprises an antibody selected from the group consisting of:

• a) the monoclonal antibody produced by the hybridoma cell line 15B8 (Patent Deposit Designation PTA-3814);
• b) a monoclonal antibody comprising a light chain variable region having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 and a heavy chain variable region having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:4;
• and
• c) a monoclonal antibody having a light chain variable region having the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 and a heavy chain variable region having the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:3;
• wherein said conjugated antigen-binding fragment of said conjugated antibody retains the capability of specifically binding to human CD40, and whereby said disease is treated.

A method of inhibiting proliferation of malignant cells of B cell lineage, said method comprising contacting said malignant cells with an effective amount of a conjugated human anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody or conjugated antigen-binding fragment thereof, whereby when said conjugated antibody or conjugated fragment thereof binds to CD40 antigen on said malignant cells, the proliferation of said malignant cells is inhibited, wherein said conjugated human anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody comprises an antibody selected from the group consisting of:

• a) the monoclonal antibody produced by the hybridoma cell line 15B8 (Patent Deposit Designation PTA-3814);
• b) a monoclonal antibody comprising a light chain variable region having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 and a heavy chain variable region having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:4;
• and
• c) a monoclonal antibody having a light chain variable region having the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 and a heavy chain variable region having the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:3;
• wherein said conjugated antigen-binding fragment of said conjugated antibody retains the capability of specifically binding to human CD40.