Human monoclonal antibodies against human il-4

Abstract

Antibodies which are specific for human interleukin-4 and their use in the treatment of IL-4 and/or IgE mediated diseases.

1 . An isolated human IL-4 specific antibody, or fragment thereof, which binds to human IL-4 with a dissociation constant K d  of equal or less than 800 pM. 
     
     
         2 . An antibody of  claim 1  comprising
 a) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:1 and a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2, or   b) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:9 and a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:10, or   c) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:17 and a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:18, or   d) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:25 and a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:26, or   e) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:33 and a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:34, or   f) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:41 and a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:42.   
     
     
         3 . An antibody of  claim 1  comprising
 a) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:3 and a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:4, or   b) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:11 and a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:12, or   c) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:19 and a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:20, or   d) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:27 and a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:28, or   e) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:35 and a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:36, or   f) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:43 and a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:44.   
     
     
         4 . The antibody of  claim 1  that is monoclonal. 
     
     
         5 . Isolated polynucleotides comprising polynucleotides encoding an antibody of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         6 . Polynucleotides of  claim 6  encoding the amino acid sequence of an antibody of  claim 2 . 
     
     
         7 . Polynucleotides of  claim 6  comprising
 a) a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:5 and a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:6, or   b) a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:13 and a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:14, or   c) a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:21 and a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:22, or   d) a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:29 and a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:30, or   e) a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:37 and a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:38, or   f) a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:45 and a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:46.   
     
     
         8 . Polynucleotides of  claim 6  encoding
 a) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:7 and SEQ ID NO:8, or   b) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:15 and SEQ ID NO:16, or   c) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:23 and SEQ ID NO:24, or   d) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:31 and SEQ ID NO:32, or   e) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:39 and SEQ ID NO:40, or   f) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:47 and SEQ ID NO:48.   
     
     
         9 . An expression vector comprising polynucleotides of  claim 6 . 
     
     
         10 . An expression system comprising a polynucleotide of  claims 6  wherein said expression system or part thereof is capable of producing an antibody of  claim 1  when said expression system or part thereof is present in a compatible host cell. 
     
     
         11 . An isolated host cell comprising an expression system of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         12 . Use of an antibody of any one of  claims 1  to  5  as a pharmaceutical. 
     
     
         13 . Use of an antibody of any one of  claims 1  to  5  for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of diseases mediated by IL-4 and/or IgE. 
     
     
         14 . Use of  claim 14  wherein the disease is selected from the group consisting of atopic dermatitis, allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis. 
     
     
         15 . Use of any one of  claims 13  to  15  wherein the antibody is selected from the group consisting of an human IL-4 monoclonal antibody, a fragment thereof and an analog thereof. 
     
     
         16 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising an antibody of  claim 1  in association with at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient. 
     
     
         17 . A method of treatment of diseases mediated by IL-4 and/or IgE which treatment comprises administering to a subject in need of such treatment an effective amount of an antibody of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         18 . A method of treatment, where in the disease is selected from the group consisting of atopic dermatitis, allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis.