Methods and compositions for treatment of amyloid deposition diseases

Abstract

Methods and pharmaceutical compositions for treatment of amyloid deposition diseases using chimeric (e.g., mouse-human) antibody are disclosed, including a method for treating amyloid deposition diseases with cardiac involvement by administering pharmaceutical compositions comprising a chimeric anti-amyloid fibril antibody. The methods herein can improve myocardial function in patients diagnosed with light chain amyloid light chain amyloidosis (ALA) having a cardiac involvement in as little as three weeks after treatment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of detecting the presence of amyloid deposits in a patient suspected of having such deposits which comprises administering to the patient an amount of a chimeric mouse-human antibody which comprises a V κ  region comprising SEQ ID NO: 47 and a V H  region comprising SEQ ID NO: 48 and having a detectable label attached thereto, the amount of antibody administered being sufficient to allow detection of amyloid deposits if such are present. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the detectable label is  124 I. 
     
     
         3 . A method of monitoring improvement in myocardial function in a patient diagnosed with light chain amyloidosis (ALA) with cardiac involvement comprising observing an improvement in myocardial function in a patient diagnosed with ALA having a cardiac involvement within about three weeks after administration to said patient of a therapeutically effective amount of a humanized or chimeric 11-1F4 antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the patient suffers from relapse or refractory ALA. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the ALA is further characterized as having light chain lambda amyloid cardiac involvement. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the ALA is further characterized as having light chain kappa amyloid cardiac involvement.