Anti-factor B antibodies and their uses

Abstract

The invention concerns the prevention and treatment of complement-associated eye conditions, such as choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), by administration of factor B antagonists.

1 . A method for the prevention or treatment of a complement-associated eye condition comprising administering to a subject in need an effective amount of a factor B antagonist. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said subject is a mammal. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said subject is a human. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said factor B antagonist is selected from the group consisting of anti-factor B antibodies and fragments thereof, binding polypeptides, peptides, and non-peptide small molecules. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said factor B antagonist is an antibody or an antibody fragment. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said antibody or antibody fragment binds essentially to the same epitope as anti-factor B antibody 1F7. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said antibody or antibody fragment comprises the light and/or heavy chain hypervariable region sequences of anti-factor B antibody 1F7 (SEQ ID NOs: 1 and 2, respectively). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said antibody or antibody fragment comprises the light and/or heavy chain variable region sequence of anti-factor antibody 1F7 (SEQ ID NOs: 1 and 2, respectively). 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , which is antibody 1F7 comprising a light chain sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and the heavy chain sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said antibody or antibody fragment binds to the active site of factor B. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said antibody or antibody fragment binds to an epitope including active site residues of factor B. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said antibody fragment is selected from the group consisting of Fab, Fab′, F(ab′) 2 , scFv, (scFv) 2 , dAb, complementarity determining region (CDR) fragments, linear antibodies, single-chain antibody molecules, minibodies, diabodies, and multispecific antibodies formed from antibody fragments. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said antibody fragment is a Fab, Fab′, F(ab′) 2 , scFv, or (scFv) 2  fragment. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said complement-associated eye condition is selected from the group consisting of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), choroidal neovascularization (CNV), uveitis, diabetic and other ischemia-related retinopathies, diabetic macular edema, pathological myopia, von Hippel-Lindau disease, histoplasmosis of the eye, Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO), corneal neovascularization, and retinal neovascularization. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said AMD is dry AMD. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said AMD is wet AMD.