Anti-mesothelin immunoconjugates and uses therefor

Abstract

The present invention provides immunoconjugates composed of antibodies, e.g., monoclonal antibodies, or antibody fragments that bind to mesothelin, that are conjugated to cytotoxic agents, e.g., maytansine, or derivatives thereof, and/or co-administered or formulated with one or more additional anti-cancer agents. The immunoconjugates of the invention can be used in the methods of the invention to treat and/or diagnose and/or monitor cancers, e.g. solid tumors.recombinant antigen-binding regions and antibodies and functional fragments containing such antigen-binding regions that are specific for the membrane-anchored, 40 kDa mesothelin polypeptide, which which is overexpressed in several tumors, such as pancreatic and ovarian tumors, mesothelioma and lung cancer cells

1 : A method for inhibiting the growth of mesothelin-positive cancer cells by administering an immunoconjugate comprising an antibody and the maytansinoid DM4 wherein said antibody comprises a variable heavy chain (VH) of SEQ ID NO: 23 and a variable light chain (VL) of SEQ ID NO: 27 and wherein said antibody and said maytansinoid DM4 are linked via a SPDB linker. 
     
     
         2 : The method according to claim  6 , wherein the immunoconjugate is administering together with one or more anti-cancer agents to potentiate the effect of the immunoconjugate, the one or more anti-cancer agents, or both.