Cell engaging binding molecules

• US 10,633,458 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2019
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Y-Biologic, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Y-Biologic, Inc.
• Inventors: Jang, Seil, Park, Bum-Chan, Park, Young Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): Natarajan, Meera
• Application Number:
  US16/372,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20190309093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2039/505 comprising antibodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2039/545 characterised by the dose, timing or administration schedule
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 35/00 Antineoplastic agents
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/00 Immunoglobulins [IGs], e.g. monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies antibodies with enzymatic activity, e.g. abzymes C12N9/0002
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/241 Tumor Necrosis Factors
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/2803 against the immunoglobulin superfamily
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/2809 against the T-cell receptor (TcR)-CD3 complex
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/2818 against CD28 or CD152
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/2827 against B7 molecules, e.g. CD80, CD86
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/2863 against receptors for growth factors, growth regulators
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/2887 against CD20
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/2896 against molecules with a "CD"-designation, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/32 against translation products of oncogenes
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/468 Immunoglobulins having two or more different antigen binding sites, e.g. multifunctional antibodies
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/14 Specific host cells or culture conditions, e.g. components, pH or temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/24 containing regions, domains or residues from different species, e.g. chimeric, humanized or veneered
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/31 multispecific
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/35 Valency
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/522 CH1 domain
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/53 Hinge
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/55 : Fab or Fab'
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/56 : variable (Fv) region, i.e. VH and/or VL
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/565 : Complementarity determining region [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/60 : characterized by non-natural combinations of immunoglobulin fragments
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/64 : comprising a combination of variable region and constant region components
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/73 : Inducing cell death, e.g. apoptosis, necrosis or inhibition of cell proliferation
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/732 : Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity [ADCC]
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/734 : Complement-dependent cytotoxicity [CDC]
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/76 : Antagonist effect on antigen, e.g. neutralization or inhibition of binding
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/92 : Affinity (KD), association rate (Ka), dissociation rate (Kd) or EC50 value
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 2317/94 : Stability, e.g. half-life, pH, temperature or enzyme-resistance

Abstract

The present disclosure is broadly concerned with the field of cancer immunotherapy. For example, the present disclosure generally related to a binding molecule comprising antibody variable light (VL) regions, variable heavy (VH) regions, constant heavy 1 (CH1) regions, and light chain constant (CL) regions that are configured to form two antigen binding Fab regions and an antigen binding Fv region so that the binding molecule binds to two different antigens.

Claims

1. A binding molecule, comprising:

(a) a first polypeptide and a second polypeptide, each comprising an antibody light chain,

(b) a third polypeptide comprising, in the order from N-terminus to C-terminus, a first variable heavy (VH) region and a first constant heavy 1 (CH1) region, and a second VH region; and

(c) a fourth polypeptide comprising, in the order from N-terminus to C-terminus, a third VH region and a second CH1 region, and a variable light (VL) region,

wherein the first polypeptide and the first VH region and the first CH1 region of the third polypeptide form a first antigen binding Fab region;

wherein the second polypeptide and the third VH region and the second CH1 region of the fourth polypeptide form a second antigen binding Fab region;

wherein the second VH region of the third polypeptide and the VL region of the fourth polypeptide form an antigen binding Fv region;

wherein the first Fab region and the second Fab region bind to Cluster of Differentiation 20 (CD20) and the Fv region binds to Cluster of Differentiation 3 (CD3);

wherein the antibody light chains of the first and the second polypeptides each comprise three Complementarity Determining Regions (CDRs) having amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO.;

31, SEQ ID NO.;

32, and SEQ ID NO.;

33;

wherein in the third polypeptide, the first VH region comprises three CDRs having amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO.;

27, SEQ ID NO.;

28, and SEQ ID NO.;

29, and the second VH region comprises three CDRs having amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO.;

13, SEQ ID NO.;

14, and SEQ ID NO.;

15; and

wherein in the fourth polypeptide, the third VH region comprises three CDRs having amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO.;

27, SEQ ID NO.;

28, and SEQ ID NO.;

29, and the VL region comprises three CDRs having amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO.;

17, SEQ ID NO.;

18, and SEQ ID NO.;

19.

2. The binding molecule of claim 1, wherein the first Fab region and the second Fab region are linked to the Fv region via a flexible peptide region.

3. The binding molecule of claim 1, wherein the first Fab region and the second Fab region are linked to the Fv region via fusion.

4. The binding molecule of claim 2, wherein the flexible peptide region comprises an antibody hinge region.

5. The binding molecule of claim 4, wherein the antibody hinge region is an Immunoglobulin G (IgG) hinge region.

6. The binding molecule of claim 5, wherein the antibody hinge region is selected from the group consisting of IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4 hinge regions.

7. The binding molecule of claim 4, wherein the antibody hinge region comprises an interchain disulfide bond between the third polypeptide and the fourth polypeptide.

8. The binding molecule of claim 4, wherein the flexible peptide region further comprises a linker.

9. The binding molecule of claim 8, wherein the linker comprises an amino acid sequence of GGGGS (G45) (SEQ ID NO:

130).

10. The binding molecule of claim 9, wherein the linker comprises two tandem copies of the amino acid sequence of GGGGS (G4S) (SEQ ID NO:

130).

11. The binding molecule of claim 1, wherein the first Fab region and the second Fab region bind to the same epitope of CD20.

18. The binding molecule of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the antibody light chains of the first and the second polypeptides each comprise a VL region that comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO.;

30;

(b) in the third polypeptide, the first VH region comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO.;

26, and the second VH region comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO.;

12; and

(c) in the fourth polypeptide, the third VH region comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO.;

26, and the VL region comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO.;

16.

19. The binding molecule of claim 1, wherein the first polypeptide and the second polypeptides each have the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO.:

25;

the third polypeptide has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO.;

23; and

the fourth polypeptide has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO.;

24.

12. A method of making a binding molecule, comprising:

(i) expressing the binding molecule from one or more vectors in a host cell, wherein the one or more vectors comprise

(a) a first nucleic acid encoding a first polypeptide and a second nucleic acid encoding a second polypeptide, wherein each of the first polypeptide and the second polypeptide is an antibody light chain,

(b) a third nucleic acid encoding a third polypeptide comprising, in the order from N-terminus to C-terminus, a first VH region and a first CH1 region and a second VH region; and

(c) a fourth nucleic acid encoding a fourth polypeptide comprising, in the order from N-terminus to C-terminus, a third VH region and a second CH1 region and a VL region,

wherein the first polypeptide and the first VH region and the first CH1 region of the third polypeptide can form a first antigen binding Fab region;

wherein the second polypeptide and the third VH region and the second CH1 region of the fourth polypeptide can form a second antigen binding Fab region;

wherein the second VH region of the third polypeptide and the VL region of the fourth polypeptide form an antigen binding Fv region;

wherein the first Fab region and the second Fab region bind to CD20, and the Fv region binds to CD3;

wherein the antibody light chains of the first and the second polypeptides each comprise three Complementarity Determining Regions (CDRs) having amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO.;

31, SEQ ID NO.;

32, and SEQ ID NO.;

33;

wherein in the third polypeptide, the first VH region comprises three CDRs having amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO.;

27, SEQ ID NO.;

28, and SEQ ID NO.;

29, and the second VH region comprises three CDRs having amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO.;

13, SEQ ID NO.;

14, and SEQ ID NO.;

15; and

wherein in the fourth polypeptide, the third VH region comprises three CDRs having amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO.;

27, SEQ ID NO.;

28, and SEQ ID NO.;

29, and the VL region comprises three CDRs having amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO.;

17, SEQ ID NO.;

18, and SEQ ID NO.;

19; and

(ii) purifying the binding molecule.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first Fab region and the second Fab region are linked to the Fv region via a flexible peptide region comprising an antibody hinge region.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the antibody hinge region comprises an interchain disulfide bond formed between the third polypeptide and the fourth polypeptide.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the flexible peptide region further comprises a linker.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the linker comprises an amino acid sequence of GGGGS (G45) (SEQ ID NO:

130).

17. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a binding molecule and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein the binding molecule comprises:

(a) a first polypeptide and a second polypeptide, each comprising an antibody light chain,

(b) a third polypeptide comprising, in the order from N-terminus to C-terminus, a first VH region and a first CH1 region, and a second VH region; and

(c) a fourth polypeptide comprising, in the order from N-terminus to C-terminus, a third VH region and a second CH1 region, and a VL region,

wherein the first polypeptide and the first VH region and the first CH1 region of the third polypeptide form a first antigen binding Fab region;

wherein the second polypeptide and the third VH region and the second CH1 region of the fourth polypeptide form a second antigen binding Fab region;

wherein the second VH region of the third polypeptide and the VL region of the fourth polypeptide form an antigen binding Fv region;

wherein the first Fab region and the second Fab region bind to Cluster of Differentiation 20 (CD20) and the Fv region binds to Cluster of Differentiation 3 (CD3);

wherein the antibody light chains of the first and the second polypeptides each comprise three Complementarity Determining Regions (CDRs) having amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO.;

31, SEQ ID NO.;

32, and SEQ ID NO.;

33;

wherein in the third polypeptide, the first VH region comprises three CDRs having amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO.;

27, SEQ ID NO.;

28, and SEQ ID NO.;

29, and the second VH region comprises three CDRs having amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO.;

13, SEQ ID NO.;

14, and SEQ ID NO.;

15; and

wherein in the fourth polypeptide, the third VH region comprises three CDRs having amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO.;

27, SEQ ID NO.;

28, and SEQ ID NO.;

29, and the VL region comprises three CDRs having amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO.;

17, SEQ ID NO.;

18, and SEQ ID NO.;

19.