Patent Description:
In addition to treatment of cancers, PD-L1 inhibition has also shown promises in treating infectious diseases. In a mouse model of intracellular infection, L. monocytogenes induced PD-L1 protein expression in T cells, NK cells, and macrophages. PD-L1 blockade (e.g., using blocking antibodies) resulted in increased mortality for infected mice. Blockade reduced TNFα and nitric oxide production by macrophages, reduced granzyme B production by NK cells, and decreased proliferation of L. monocytogenes antigen-specific CD8 T cells (but not CD4 T cells). This evidence suggests that PD-L1 acts as a positive costimulatory molecule in intracellular infection. <CIT> describes anti-PD-L1 antibodies and their use to enhance T-cell function. <CIT> describes anti-PD-L1 antibodies or antigen binding fragments and their use for the treatment of T cell dysfunctional disorders. <CIT> describes PD-L1 and TA-MUC1 antibodies. <CIT> describes PD-L1-specific antibodies and methods of using the same.

The present disclosure provides anti-PD-L1 antibodies having high binding affinity to human PD-L1 proteins and can effectively block the interaction between PD-L1 and its receptor PD-<NUM>. The identified antibodies are fully human antibodies and are expected to have improved performance than humanized antibodies in clinical uses.

The present invention provides an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof, wherein the antibody or fragment thereof has specificity to a human Programmed death-ligand <NUM> (PD-L1) protein and comprises a heavy chain variable region (VH) comprising a VH CDR1, a VH CDR2 and a VH CDR3, and a light chain variable region (VL) comprising a VL CDR1, a VL CDR2 and a VL CDR3 wherein: the VH CDR1 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>, the VH CDR2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> or <NUM>, the VH CDR3 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>, the VL CDR1 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>, the VL CDR2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>, and the VL CDR3 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>. In a particular embodiment, the VH CDR2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>.

In an example antibody or fragment, VH comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM>, and the VL comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM> or <NUM>. For instance, the VH comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: <NUM> or a first amino acid sequence having at least <NUM>% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: <NUM> (while retaining the recited CDRs), and the VL comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: <NUM> or a second amino acid sequence having at least <NUM>% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: <NUM> (while retaining the recited CDRs).

Also provided is one or more polynucleotide encoding the antibody or fragment of the present invention.

Treatment methods and uses are also described. Described herein is a method of treating cancer or infection in a patient in need thereof, comprising administering to the patient an effective amount of the antibody or fragment thereof of the present disclosure. The present invention further provides the antibody or fragment of the present invention for use in treating cancer or infection. In some embodiments, the cancer is a solid tumor. In some embodiments, the cancer is selected from the group consisting of bladder cancer, liver cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, endometrial cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, pancreatic cancer, small cell lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, urethral cancer, head and neck cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, stomach cancer, oesophageal cancer, ovarian cancer, renal cancer, melanoma, prostate cancer and thyroid cancer. In some embodiments, the cancer is selected from the group consisting of bladder cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, urethral cancer, colorectal cancer, head and neck cancer, squamous cell cancer, Merkel cell carcinoma, gastrointestinal cancer, stomach cancer, oesophageal cancer, ovarian cancer, renal cancer, and small cell lung cancer. In some embodiments, the method further comprises administering to the patient a second cancer therapeutic agent. In some embodiments, the infection is viral infection, bacterial infection, fungal infection or infection by a parasite.

It is to be noted that the term "a" or "an" entity refers to one or more of that entity; for example, "an antibody," is understood to represent one or more antibodies. As such, the terms "a" (or "an"), "one or more," and "at least one" can be used interchangeably herein.

A polynucleotide or polynucleotide region (or a polypeptide or polypeptide region) has a certain percentage (for example, <NUM> %, <NUM> %, <NUM> %, <NUM> %, <NUM> %, <NUM> %, <NUM> %, <NUM> %, <NUM> % or <NUM> %) of "sequence identity" to another sequence means that, when aligned, that percentage of bases (or amino acids) are the same in comparing the two sequences. This alignment and the percent homology or sequence identity can be determined using software programs known in the art, for example those described in <NPL>. Preferably, default parameters are used for alignment. One alignment program is BLAST, using default parameters. In particular, programs are BLASTN and BLASTP, using the following default parameters: Genetic code = standard; filter = none; strand = both; cutoff = <NUM>; expect = <NUM>; Matrix = BLOSUM62; Descriptions = <NUM> sequences; sort by = HIGH SCORE; Databases = non-redundant, GenBank + EMBL + DDBJ + PDB + GenBank CDS translations + SwissProtein + SPupdate + PIR. Biologically equivalent polynucleotides are those having the above-noted specified percent homology and encoding a polypeptide having the same or similar biological activity.

The term "an equivalent nucleic acid or polynucleotide" refers to a nucleic acid having a nucleotide sequence having a certain degree of homology, or sequence identity, with the nucleotide sequence of the nucleic acid or complement thereof. A homolog of a double stranded nucleic acid is intended to include nucleic acids having a nucleotide sequence which has a certain degree of homology with or with the complement thereof. In one aspect, homologs of nucleic acids are capable of hybridizing to the nucleic acid or complement thereof. Likewise, "an equivalent polypeptide" refers to a polypeptide having a certain degree of homology, or sequence identity, with the amino acid sequence of a reference polypeptide. In some aspects, the sequence identity is at least about <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, or <NUM>%. In some aspects, the equivalent polypeptide or polynucleotide has one, two, three, four or five addition, deletion, substitution and their combinations thereof as compared to the reference polypeptide or polynucleotide. In some aspects, the equivalent sequence retains the activity (e.g., epitope-binding) or structure (e.g., salt-bridge) of the reference sequence.

As used herein, an "antibody" or "antigen-binding polypeptide" refers to a polypeptide or a polypeptide complex that specifically recognizes and binds to an antigen. An antibody can be a whole antibody and any antigen binding fragment or a single chain thereof. Thus the term "antibody" includes any protein or peptide containing molecule that comprises at least a portion of an immunoglobulin molecule having biological activity of binding to the antigen. Examples of such include, but are not limited to a complementarity determining region (CDR) of a heavy or light chain or a ligand binding portion thereof, a heavy chain or light chain variable region, a heavy chain or light chain constant region, a framework (FR) region, or any portion thereof, or at least one portion of a binding protein.

The terms "antibody fragment" or "antigen-binding fragment", as used herein, is a portion of an antibody such as F(ab')<NUM>, F(ab)<NUM>, Fab', Fab, Fv, scFv and the like. Regardless of structure, an antibody fragment binds with the same antigen that is recognized by the intact antibody. The term "antibody fragment" includes aptamers, spiegelmers, and diabodies. The term "antibody fragment" also includes any synthetic or genetically engineered protein that acts like an antibody by binding to a specific antigen to form a complex.

A "single-chain variable fragment" or "scFv" refers to a fusion protein of the variable regions of the heavy (VH) and light chains (VL) of immunoglobulins. In some aspects, the regions are connected with a short linker peptide of ten to about <NUM> amino acids. The linker can be rich in glycine for flexibility, as well as serine or threonine for solubility, and can either connect the N-terminus of the VH with the C-terminus of the VL, or vice versa. This protein retains the specificity of the original immunoglobulin, despite removal of the constant regions and the introduction of the linker. ScFv molecules are known in the art and are described, e.g., in <CIT>.

The term antibody encompasses various broad classes of polypeptides that can be distinguished biochemically. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that heavy chains are classified as gamma, mu, alpha, delta, or epsilon (y, µ, α, δ, ε) with some subclasses among them (e.g., y <NUM>- y4). It is the nature of this chain that determines the "class" of the antibody as IgG, IgM, IgA IgG, or IgE, respectively. The immunoglobulin subclasses (isotypes) e.g., IgG<NUM>, IgG<NUM>, IgG<NUM>, IgG<NUM>, IgG<NUM>, etc. are well characterized and are known to confer functional specialization. Modified versions of each of these classes and isotypes are readily discernable to the skilled artisan in view of the instant disclosure and, accordingly, are within the scope of the instant disclosure. All immunoglobulin classes are clearly within the scope of the present disclosure, the following discussion will generally be directed to the IgG class of immunoglobulin molecules. With regard to IgG, a standard immunoglobulin molecule comprises two identical light chain polypeptides of molecular weight approximately <NUM>,<NUM> Daltons, and two identical heavy chain polypeptides of molecular weight <NUM>,<NUM>-<NUM>,<NUM>. The four chains are typically joined by disulfide bonds in a "Y" configuration wherein the light chains bracket the heavy chains starting at the mouth of the "Y" and continuing through the variable region.

Antibodies, antigen-binding polypeptides, variants, or derivatives thereof of the disclosure include, but are not limited to, polyclonal, monoclonal, multispecific, human, humanized, primatized, or chimeric antibodies, single chain antibodies, epitope-binding fragments, e.g., Fab, Fab' and F(ab')<NUM>, Fd, Fvs, single-chain Fvs (scFv), single-chain antibodies, disulfide-linked Fvs (sdFv), fragments comprising either a VK or VH domain, fragments produced by a Fab expression library, and anti- idiotypic (anti-Id) antibodies (including, e.g., anti-Id antibodies to LIGHT antibodies disclosed herein). Immunoglobulin or antibody molecules of the disclosure can be of any type (e.g., IgG, IgE, IgM, IgD, IgA, and IgY), class (e.g., IgGl, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4, IgAl and IgA2) or subclass of immunoglobulin molecule.

By "specifically binds" or "has specificity to," it is generally meant that an antibody binds to an epitope via its antigen-binding domain, and that the binding entails some complementarity between the antigen-binding domain and the epitope. According to this definition, an antibody is said to "specifically bind" to an epitope when it binds to that epitope, via its antigen-binding domain more readily than it would bind to a random, unrelated epitope. The term "specificity" is used herein to qualify the relative affinity by which a certain antibody binds to a certain epitope. For example, antibody "A" may be deemed to have a higher specificity for a given epitope than antibody "B," or antibody "A" may be said to bind to epitope "C" with a higher specificity than it has for related epitope "D.

As used herein, the terms "treat" or "treatment" refer to both therapeutic treatment and prophylactic or preventative measures, wherein the object is to prevent or slow down (lessen) an undesired physiological change or disorder, such as the progression of cancer. Beneficial or desired clinical results include, but are not limited to, alleviation of symptoms, diminishment of extent of disease, stabilized (i.e., not worsening) state of disease, delay or slowing of disease progression, amelioration or palliation of the disease state, and remission (whether partial or total), whether detectable or undetectable. "Treatment" can also mean prolonging survival as compared to expected survival if not receiving treatment. Those in need of treatment include those already with the condition or disorder as well as those prone to have the condition or disorder or those in which the condition or disorder is to be prevented.

By "subject" or "individual" or "animal" or "patient" or "mammal," is meant any subject, particularly a mammalian subject, for whom diagnosis, prognosis, or therapy is desired. Mammalian subjects include humans, domestic animals, farm animals, and zoo, sport, or pet animals such as dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, rats, mice, horses, cattle, cows, and so on.

As used herein, phrases such as "to a patient in need of treatment" or "a subject in need of treatment" includes subjects, such as mammalian subjects, that would benefit from administration of an antibody or composition of the present disclosure used, e.g., for detection, for a diagnostic procedure and/or for treatment.

The present disclosure provides anti-PD-L1 antibodies, in particular fully human antibodies and fragments, with high affinity to the human PD-L1 protein. The tested antibodies exhibited potent binding and inhibitory activities and are useful for therapeutic and diagnostics uses.

As demonstrated in the experimental examples, a number of fully human anti-PD-L1 antibodies, including B01-B17, were obtained from phage libraries. Some of these antibodies exhibited excellent binding activities. For instance, B04, B05, B06, B07, B <NUM>, B <NUM>, B12, B <NUM>, B14 and B16 could dose dependently block the PD1/PD-L1 mediated NFAF-luciferase activity. Among them, B06, B12 and B16 were the most potent.

The antibodies of the present disclosure compare favorably to existing products on the market and in clinical development. Reference antibodies used include atezolizumab (Tecentriq™), a fully humanized, Fc-engineered monoclonal antibody of IgG1 isotype, and avelumab (Bavencio™), a fully human monoclonal antibody. Atezolizumab has been approved for the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), extensive stage small cell lung cancer, and triple-negative breast cancer. Avelumab has been approved for the treatment of Merkel-cell carcinoma in the US and Europe. Atezolizumab and avelumab are the current leading PD-L1 antibodies on the market.

As shown in Example <NUM>, quite a few tested antibodies, including B07, B12, B13 and B16 exhibited higher (or at least non- inferior) PD-L1 binding affinity than atezolizumab (<FIG>). A variant of B12, B12-<NUM>, was further tested in comparison to atezolizumab and avelumab. Compared to B12, B12-<NUM> had a serine substitution at the C-terminus of VH and a conventional DIQM stretch at the N-terminus of the VL.

As shown in Example <NUM>, in a cell-based affinity assay, B12-<NUM> outperformed both atezolizumab and avelumab (<FIG>). That B12-<NUM> is more potent than atezolizumab is surprising because even avelumab, which was developed later than atezolizumab, was known (and hereby proven) to be less potent than atezolizumab.

Also in Example <NUM>, in a developability assay, B12-<NUM> exhibited higher hydrophilicity than atezolizumab, suggesting that B12-<NUM> has higher water solubility. Such a characteristic of B12-<NUM>, therefore, gives rise to higher flexibility during formulation development. Still further, as shown in Example <NUM>, B12-<NUM> has cross species reactivity to cyno PD-L1 which is advantageous during preclinical studies in animal models.

Described herein are antibodies that includes CDR regions from these newly identified antibodies. Such CDR sequences are listed in Table A below.

It is contemplated that small changes (e.g., one amino acid addition, deletion or substitution) can be designed among these CDR sequences that can retain the antibodies' activities or even improve them. Such modified CDR sequences are referred to as CDR variants.

As demonstrated in Example <NUM>, mutant antibodies with all of the tested CDR variants exhibited activities comparable the original antibodies. As described herein, the variants may have one or more of the substitutions such as D>E, S>A, G>A, N>Q, DS>ES, DS>DA, DG>DA, NS>NA, or NS>QS. Some examples are provided below.

According to the present invention, the VH CDR1 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>, the VH CDR2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM> (or a variant such as SEQ ID NO: <NUM>-<NUM> or <NUM>-<NUM>), the VH CDR3 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>, the VL CDR1 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>, the VL CDR2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>, and the VL CDR3 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM> (e.g., B <NUM>). A representative antibody or fragment includes a VH of SEQ ID NO:<NUM> (or a variant such as SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>) and a VL of SEQ ID NO:<NUM> (or a variant such as SEQ ID NO: <NUM>).

One embodiment of the present disclosure provides an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof, wherein the antibody or fragment thereof has specificity to a human Programmed death-ligand <NUM> (PD-L1) protein and comprises a heavy chain variable region (VH) comprising a VH CDR1, a VH CDR2, and a VH CDR3, and a light chain variable region (VL) comprising a VL CDR1, a VL CDR2, and a VL CDR3, wherein the VH CDR1 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>, the VH CDR2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>, the VH CDR3 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>, the VL CDR1 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>, the VL CDR2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>, and the VL CDR3 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>.

In some embodiments, the VH comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM> or a first amino acid sequence having at least <NUM>% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:<NUM>, and the VL comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: <NUM> or a second amino acid sequence having at least <NUM>% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: <NUM>.

Table A provides the CDR sequences according to the Kabat system. The Chothia system typically has different sequences for the VH CDR1 and CDR2. They are shown in Table C below.

Also described herein are anti-PD-L1 antibodies and antigen binding fragments that compete with any of the antibodies disclosed herein in binding to human PD-L1. Also described herein are anti-PD-L1 antibodies and antigen binding fragments that bind to the same epitope as any of the antibodies disclosed herein. Also described herein are anti-PD-L1 antibodies and antigen binding fragments that included the VH CDR1, CDR2, and CDR3 and VL CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 of the antibodies disclosed herein.

It will also be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that antibodies as disclosed herein may be modified such that they vary in amino acid sequence from the naturally occurring binding polypeptide from which they were derived. For example, a polypeptide or amino acid sequence derived from a designated protein may be similar, e.g., have a certain percent identity to the starting sequence, e.g., it may be <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, or <NUM>% identical to the starting sequence. In some aspects, the modified antibody or fragment retains the designate CDR sequences.

In certain embodiments, the antibody comprises an amino acid sequence or one or more moieties not normally associated with an antibody. Exemplary modifications are described in more detail below. For example, an antibody of the disclosure may comprise a flexible linker sequence, or may be modified to add a functional moiety (e.g., PEG, a drug, a toxin, or a label).

The present invention also provides one or more polynucleotides encoding the antibody or fragment thereof of the present invention. The polynucleotides may encode the entire heavy and light chain variable regions of the antigen-binding polypeptides, variants or derivatives thereof on the same polynucleotide molecule or on separate polynucleotide molecules. Additionally, the polynucleotides may encode portions of the heavy and light chain variable regions of the antigen-binding polypeptides, variants or derivatives thereof on the same polynucleotide molecule or on separate polynucleotide molecules.

Methods of making antibodies are well known in the art and described herein. In certain embodiments, both the variable and constant regions of the antigen-binding polypeptides of the present disclosure are fully human. Fully human antibodies can be made using techniques described in the art and as described herein. For example, fully human antibodies against a specific antigen can be prepared by administering the antigen to a transgenic animal which has been modified to produce such antibodies in response to antigenic challenge, but whose endogenous loci have been disabled. Exemplary techniques that can be used to make such antibodies are described in <CIT>; <CIT>; <CIT>.

The references to methods of treatment in the present description are to be interpreted as references to the compounds of the present invention for use in a method for treatment of the human (or animal) body by therapy (or for diagnosis). As described herein, the antibodies, variants or derivatives of the present disclosure may be used in certain treatment and diagnostic methods.

The present disclosure is further directed to antibody-based therapies which involve administering the antibodies of the disclosure to a patient such as an animal, a mammal, and a human for treating one or more of the disorders or conditions described herein. Therapeutic compounds of the disclosure include, but are not limited to, antibodies of the disclosure (including variants and derivatives thereof as described herein) and nucleic acids or polynucleotides encoding antibodies of the disclosure (including variants and derivatives thereof as described herein).

The antibodies of the disclosure can also be used to treat or inhibit cancer. PD-L1 can be overexpressed in tumor cells. Tumor-derived PD-L1 can bind to PD-<NUM> on immune cells thereby limiting antitumor T-cell immunity. Results with small molecule inhibitors, or monoclonal antibodies targeting PD-L1 in murine tumor models, indicate that targeted PD-L1 therapy is an important alternative and realistic approach to effective control of tumor growth. As demonstrated in the experimental examples, the anti-PD-L1 antibodies activated the adaptive immune response machinery, which can lead to improved survival in cancer patients.

Accordingly, in some embodiments, provided are methods for treating a cancer in a patient in need thereof. The method, in one embodiment, entails administering to the patient an effective amount of an antibody of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, at least one of the cancer cells (e.g., stromal cells) in the patient expresses, over-express, or is induced to express PD-L1. Induction of PD-L1 expression, for instance, can be done by administration of a tumor vaccine or radiotherapy.

Tumors that express the PD-L1 protein include those of bladder cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, renal cancer, breast cancer, urethral cancer, colorectal cancer, head and neck cancer, squamous cell cancer, Merkel cell carcinoma, gastrointestinal cancer, stomach cancer, oesophageal cancer, ovarian cancer, renal cancer, and small cell lung cancer. Accordingly, the presently disclosed antibodies can be used for treating any one or more such cancers.

Cellular therapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies, are also provided in the present disclosure. A suitable cell can be used, that is put in contact with an anti-PD-L1 antibody of the present disclosure (or alternatively engineered to express an anti-PD-L1 antibody of the present disclosure). Upon such contact or engineering, the cell can then be introduced to a cancer patient in need of a treatment. The cancer patient may have a cancer of any of the types as disclosed herein. The cell (e.g., T cell) can be, for instance, a tumor-infiltrating T lymphocyte, a CD4+ T cell, a CD8+ T cell, or the combination thereof, without limitation.

As described herein, the cell was isolated from the cancer patient him- or her-self. In some aspects, the cell was provided by a donor or from a cell bank. When the cell is isolated from the cancer patient, undesired immune reactions can be minimized.

Additional diseases or conditions associated with increased cell survival, that may be treated, prevented, diagnosed and/or prognosed with the antibodies or variants, or derivatives thereof of the disclosure include, but are not limited to, progression, and/or metastases of malignancies and related disorders such as leukemia (including acute leukemias (e.g., acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myelocytic leukemia (including myeloblastic, promyelocytic, myelomonocytic, monocytic, and erythroleukemia)) and chronic leukemias (e.g., chronic myelocytic (granulocytic) leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia)), polycythemia vera, lymphomas (e.g., Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's disease), multiple myeloma, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, heavy chain disease, and solid tumors including, but not limited to, sarcomas and carcinomas such as fibrosarcoma, myxosarcoma, liposarcoma, chondrosarcoma, osteogenic sarcoma, chordoma, angiosarcoma, endotheliosarcoma, lymphangiosarcoma, lymphangioendotheliosarcoma, synovioma, mesothelioma, Ewing's tumor, leiomyosarcoma, rhabdomyo sarcoma, colon carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, thyroid cancer, endometrial cancer, melanoma, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, sweat gland carcinoma, sebaceous gland carcinoma, papillary carcinoma, papillary adenocarcinomas, cystadenocarcinoma, medullary carcinoma, bronchogenic carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, hepatoma, bile duct carcinoma, choriocarcinoma, seminoma, embryonal carcinoma, Wilm's tumor, cervical cancer, testicular tumor, lung carcinoma, small cell lung carcinoma, bladder carcinoma, epithelial carcinoma, glioma, astrocytoma, medulloblastoma, craniopharyngioma, ependymoma, pinealoma, hemangioblastoma, acoustic neuroma, oligodendroglioma, menangioma, melanoma, neuroblastoma and retinoblastoma.

As demonstrated in the experimental examples, the antibodies of the present disclosure can activate immune response which can then be useful for treating infections.

Infection is the invasion of an organism's body tissues by disease-causing agents, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to these organisms and the toxins they produce. An infection can be caused by infectious agents such as viruses, viroids, prions, bacteria, nematodes such as parasitic roundworms and pinworms, arthropods such as ticks, mites, fleas, and lice, fungi such as ringworm, and other macroparasites such as tapeworms and other helminths. In one aspect, the infectious agent is a bacterium, such as Gram negative bacterium. In one aspect, the infectious agent is virus, such as DNA viruses, RNA viruses, and reverse transcribing viruses. Non-limiting examples of viruses include Adenovirus, Coxsackievirus, Epstein-Barr virus, Hepatitis A virus, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus, Herpes simplex virus, type <NUM>, Herpes simplex virus, type <NUM>, Cytomegalovirus, Human herpesvirus, type <NUM>, HIV, Influenza virus, Measles virus, Mumps virus, Human papillomavirus, Parainfluenza virus, Poliovirus, Rabies virus, Respiratory syncytial virus, Rubella virus, Varicella-zoster virus.

The antibodies of the present disclosure can also be used to treat an infectious disease caused by a microorganism, or kill a microorganism, by targeting the microorganism and an immune cell to effect elimination of the microorganism. In one aspect, the microorganism is a virus including RNA and DNA viruses, a Gram positive bacterium, a Gram negative bacterium, a protozoa or a fungus.

A specific dosage and treatment regimen for any particular patient will depend upon a variety of factors, including the particular antibodies, variant or derivative thereof used, the patient's age, body weight, general health, sex, and diet, and the time of administration, rate of excretion, drug combination, and the severity of the particular disease being treated. Judgment of such factors by medical caregivers is within the ordinary skill in the art. The amount will also depend on the individual patient to be treated, the route of administration, the type of formulation, the characteristics of the compound used, the severity of the disease, and the desired effect. The amount used can be determined by pharmacological and pharmacokinetic principles well known in the art.

Methods of administration of the antibodies, variants or include but are not limited to intradermal, intramuscular, intraperitoneal, intravenous, subcutaneous, intranasal, epidural, and oral routes. The antigen-binding polypeptides or compositions may be administered by any convenient route, for example by infusion or bolus injection, by absorption through epithelial or mucocutaneous linings (e.g., oral mucosa, rectal and intestinal mucosa, etc.) and may be administered together with other biologically active agents. Thus, pharmaceutical compositions containing the antigen-binding polypeptides of the disclosure may be administered orally, rectally, parenterally, intracistemally, intravaginally, intraperitoneally, topically (as by powders, ointments, drops or transdermal patch), bucally, or as an oral or nasal spray.

The term "parenteral" as used herein refers to modes of administration which include intravenous, intramuscular, intraperitoneal, intrasternal, subcutaneous and intra-articular injection and infusion.

Administration can be systemic or local. In addition, it may be desirable to introduce the antibodies of the disclosure into the central nervous system by any suitable route, including intraventricular and intrathecal injection; intraventricular injection may be facilitated by an intraventricular catheter, for example, attached to a reservoir, such as an Ommaya reservoir. Pulmonary administration can also be employed, e.g., by use of an inhaler or nebulizer, and formulation with an aerosolizing agent.

It may be desirable to administer the antibodies polypeptides or compositions of the disclosure locally to the area in need of treatment; this may be achieved by, for example, and not by way of limitation, local infusion during surgery, topical application, e.g., in conjunction, with a wound dressing after surgery, by injection, by means of a catheter, by means of a suppository, or by means of an implant, said implant being of a porous, nonporous, or gelatinous material, including membranes, such as sialastic membranes, or fibers. Preferably, when administering a protein, including an antibody, of the disclosure, care must be taken to use materials to which the protein does not absorb.

The methods for treating an infectious or malignant disease, condition or disorder comprising administration of an antibody, variant, or derivative thereof of the disclosure are typically tested in vitro, and then in vivo in an acceptable animal model, for the desired therapeutic or prophylactic activity, prior to use in humans. Suitable animal models, including transgenic animals, are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, in vitro assays to demonstrate the therapeutic utility of antigen-binding polypeptide described herein include the effect of an antigen-binding polypeptide on a cell line or a patient tissue sample. The effect of the antigen-binding polypeptide on the cell line and/or tissue sample can be determined utilizing techniques known to those of skill in the art, such as the assays disclosed elsewhere herein. In accordance with the disclosure, in vitro assays which can be used to determine whether administration of a specific antigen-binding polypeptide is indicated, include in vitro cell culture assays in which a patient tissue sample is grown in culture, and exposed to or otherwise administered a compound, and the effect of such compound upon the tissue sample is observed.

Over-expression of PD-L1 is observed in certain tumor samples, and patients having PD-L1-over-expressing cells are likely responsive to treatments with the anti-PD-L1 antibodies of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the antibodies of the present disclosure can also be used for diagnostic and prognostic purposes.

A sample that preferably includes a cell can be obtained from a patient, which can be a cancer patient or a patient desiring diagnosis. The cell be a cell of a tumor tissue or a tumor block, a blood sample, a urine sample or any sample from the patient. Upon optional pretreatment of the sample, the sample can be incubated with an antibody of the present disclosure under conditions allowing the antibody to interact with a PD-L1 protein potentially present in the sample. Methods such as ELISA can be used, taking advantage of the anti-PD-L1 antibody, to detect the presence of the PD-L1 protein in the sample.

Presence of the PD-L1 protein in the sample (optionally with the amount or concentration) can be used for diagnosis of cancer, as an indication that the patient is suitable for a treatment with the antibody, or as an indication that the patient has (or has not) responded to a cancer treatment. For a prognostic method, the detection can be done at once, twice or more, at certain stages, upon initiation of a cancer treatment to indicate the progress of the treatment.

Pharmaceutical compositions are described herein. Such compositions comprise an effective amount of an antibody, and an acceptable carrier. In some aspects, the composition further includes a second anticancer agent (e.g., an immune checkpoint inhibitor).

The term "pharmaceutically acceptable" means approved by a regulatory agency of the Federal or a state government or listed in the U. Pharmacopeia or other generally recognized pharmacopeia for use in animals, and more particularly in humans. Further, a "pharmaceutically acceptable carrier" will generally be a non-toxic solid, semisolid or liquid filler, diluent, encapsulating material or formulation auxiliary of any type.

The term "carrier" refers to a diluent, adjuvant, excipient, or vehicle with which the therapeutic is administered. Such pharmaceutical carriers can be sterile liquids, such as water and oils, including those of petroleum, animal, vegetable or synthetic origin, such as peanut oil, soybean oil, mineral oil, sesame oil and the like. Water is a preferred carrier when the pharmaceutical composition is administered intravenously. Saline solutions and aqueous dextrose and glycerol solutions can also be employed as liquid carriers, particularly for injectable solutions. Suitable pharmaceutical excipients include starch, glucose, lactose, sucrose, gelatin, malt, rice, flour, chalk, silica gel, sodium stearate, glycerol monostearate, talc, sodium chloride, dried skim milk, glycerol, propylene, glycol, water, ethanol and the like. The composition, if desired, can also contain minor amounts of wetting or emulsifying agents, or pH buffering agents such as acetates, citrates or phosphates. Antibacterial agents such as benzyl alcohol or methyl parabens; antioxidants such as ascorbic acid or sodium bisulfite; chelating agents such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; and agents for the adjustment of tonicity such as sodium chloride or dextrose are also envisioned. These compositions can take the form of solutions, suspensions, emulsion, tablets, pills, capsules, powders, sustained-release formulations and the like. The composition can be formulated as a suppository, with traditional binders and carriers such as triglycerides. Oral formulation can include standard carriers such as pharmaceutical grades of mannitol, lactose, starch, magnesium stearate, sodium saccharine, cellulose, magnesium carbonate, etc. Examples of suitable pharmaceutical carriers are described in Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences by E. Such compositions will contain a therapeutically effective amount of the antigen-binding polypeptide, preferably in purified form, together with a suitable amount of carrier so as to provide the form for proper administration to the patient. The formulation should suit the mode of administration. The parental preparation can be enclosed in ampoules, disposable syringes or multiple dose vials made of glass or plastic.

As described herein, the composition is formulated in accordance with routine procedures as a pharmaceutical composition adapted for intravenous administration to human beings. Typically, compositions for intravenous administration are solutions in sterile isotonic aqueous buffer. Where necessary, the composition may also include a solubilizing agent and a local anesthetic such as lignocaine to ease pain at the site of the injection. Generally, the ingredients are supplied either separately or mixed together in unit dosage form, for example, as a dry lyophilized powder or water free concentrate in a hermetically sealed container such as an ampoule or sachette indicating the quantity of active agent. Where the composition is to be administered by infusion, it can be dispensed with an infusion bottle containing sterile pharmaceutical grade water or saline. Where the composition is administered by injection, an ampoule of sterile water for injection or saline can be provided so that the ingredients may be mixed prior to administration.

This example shows the screening of full human anti-PD-L1 antibodies from a phage library.

Antigen: human PDL1 extracellular domain (ECD) avi-His-biotion labeled protein (B3568B, Biointron).

Preparation of full human naive phage library. The phage library was constructed by using phagemid vectors which consisted of antibody gene fragments that were amplified from PBMCs of healthy human subjects. It was constructed as a Fab phage library. The library size was <NUM> × <NUM><NUM>.

Phage library solution panning against PDL1 ECD protein. The phage libraries first underwent negative screening by incubating with BSA-coated streptavidin Dynabeads. The resulting phages were incubated with PDL1-ECD-avi-his-biotin protein and washed by Kingfihser magnetic beads system. The binders were eluted by trypsin. The eluted phages (output <NUM>) were subsequently tested for their titer to bind antigen and co-cultured with E. There were three rounds of panning and screening. The titers of output <NUM> and output <NUM> were significantly increased.

Single clones were cherrypicked from output <NUM> and <NUM> and then cultured in <NUM> deep well plate. The culture supernatant was subject to IgG concentration and antigen binding titer evaluation. <NUM> positive clones were selected and subject to sequencing. Post sequence analysis <NUM> unique sequences were identified. All these clones were subjected to ELISA binding analysis. <NUM> top sequences were identified see below table. <NUM> top binding sequences were identified see Table <NUM> below.

The <NUM> unique clones were characterized and converted into full-length IgG. Their binding property was examined with recombinant human PD-L1 (Sino Biological, Cat#: <NUM>-H08H).

To evaluate antigen binding activity, the antibodies were subjected to ELISA test. Briefly, microtiter plates were coated with human PD-L1 protein at <NUM>µg/ml in PBS, 100µl/well at <NUM> overnight, then blocked with 100µl/well of <NUM>% BSA. <NUM>-fold dilutions of humanized antibodies starting from <NUM>µg/ml were added to each well and incubated for <NUM>-<NUM> hours at RT. The plates were washed with PBS/Tween and then incubate with goat-anti-human IgG antibody conjugated with Horse Radish Peroxidase (HRP) for <NUM> hour at RT. After washing, the plates were developed with TMB substrate and analyzed by spectrophotometer at OD <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, all the antibodies showed binding efficacy to human PD-L1. In particular, B03, B04, B05, B06, B07, B10, B12, B13, B14 and B16 showed excellent binding to human PD-L1. Among these binders, B04, B06, B07, B12 and B16 were comparable or better than Tecentriq® (Atezolizumab), a reference anti-PD-L1 antibody.

To test the ability of the anti-PDL1 antibodies to stimulate T cell response, hPD-<NUM>-expressed Jurkat cells were used. Jurkat is a human T cell leukemia cell line that can activate NF-AT activated luciferase expression upon TCR stimulation. In this assay, Jurkat cells transfected with human PD-<NUM> gene by lentivirus were used as the responder cells. The Raji-PD-L1 cells was used as the antigen presenting cells (APC). Staphylococcal Enterotoxins (SE) are used to stimulate TCR signal. In this system, ectopically expressed huPDL1 can suppress SE stimulated NF-AT-luciferase activity in Jurkat cells, while anti-PDL1 antibodies can reverse NF-AT-luciferase activity.

In short, APCs (<NUM> × <NUM><NUM>) were co-cultured with PD-<NUM> expressing Jurkat T cells (<NUM> × <NUM><NUM>) in the presence of SE stimulation. Anti-PDL1 antibodies were added at the beginning of the culture. <NUM> hr later, the resulting cells were evaluated for its luciferase activity. As shown in <FIG>, antibodies B04, B05, B06, B07, B <NUM>, B <NUM>, B12, B <NUM>, B14 and B16 dose dependently blocked the PD <NUM>/PDL1 mediated NF-AT-luciferase activity.

To further evaluate the function of PDL1 blocking antibodies, selected antibodies (B04, B06, B07, B <NUM>, B <NUM>, B <NUM>) were further evaluated for their function in Jurkat PD1 assay with more doses. As shown in <FIG>, all of these antibodies dose dependently reversed the PD1/PDL1 mediated NF-AT-luciferase inhibition. Among them, B06, B07, B12 and B16 were the most potent antibodies.

There are usually post-translational modification (PTM) sites in the CDR regions of human antibody sequences. Sequence examination also found potential isomerization of aspartic acid (Asp) in DS or DG and deamidation sites in B06, B12 or B16 sites. Some of such amino acid substitutions (Table <NUM>) were prepared and tested. The tested sequences also included certain customary changes in the framework regions for therapeutic antibodies, e.g., a serine at the C-terminus of VH and a DIQM stretch at the N-terminus of the VL.

To test the functional potency of the mutated anti-PDL1 antibodies to stimulate T cell response, hPD-<NUM>-expressed Jurkat cell assay were used as described above. As shown in <FIG>, the representative mutants all had comparable functional potency, demonstrating the promise of these mutations in reducing the likelihood of post-translational modifications for the antibodies.

One of the modified variants of B <NUM>, B12-<NUM>, was used as a representative to compare to known reference PD-L1 antibodies. The reference antibodies included atezolizumab (Tecentriq™), a fully humanized, Fc-engineered monoclonal antibody of IgG1 isotype, and avelumab (Bavencio™), a fully human monoclonal antibody.

Jurkat cells transfected with human PD-<NUM> gene by lentivirus were used as the responder cells. The Raji-PD-L1 cells was used as the antigen presenting cells (APC). Staphylococcal Enterotoxins (SE) are used to stimulate TCR signal. In this system, ectopically expressed huPDL1 can suppress SE stimulated NF-AT-luciferase activity in Jurkat cells, while anti-PDL1 antibodies can reverse NF-AT-luciferase activity.

APCs were co-cultured with PD-<NUM> expressing Jurkat T cells in the presence of SE stimulation. Anti-PDL1 antibodies were added at the beginning of the culture. <NUM> hr later, the resulting cells were evaluated for its luciferase activity.

The results are shown in <FIG>. B12-<NUM> exhibited significantly higher affinity than avelumab (EC50: <NUM> vs. <NUM>) in the cell-based assay and was also superior to Tecentriq (EC50: <NUM> vs. <NUM>).

Next, pilot developability characteristics including purity (size-exclusion chromatography (SEC)), isoelectric point (pI), melting temperature (Tm), and hydrophilicity (hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC)) were analyzed for B12-<NUM> and compared with those of reference antibody Tecentriq.

Interestingly, the results showed that B12-<NUM> has higher hydrophilicity than Tecentriq. The difference in hydrophilicity can be attributed to their different amino acid compositions, and suggests that B12-<NUM> has higher water solubility than Tecentriq. This property will give more flexibility during formulation development in the subsequent CMC stage.

In this example, the affinity of B12-<NUM> to His-tagged human PD-L1 was assessed with Biacore T200.

The analytes B12-<NUM> were captured by protein A chip. Human PD-L1 protein (<NUM>-<NUM>) was injected over the captured analytes at a flow rate of <NUM>µL/min. The ligand was allowed to associate for <NUM> and dissociate for <NUM>. The data showed that B12-<NUM> had sub-nano molar affinity to PD-L1 (<NUM>×<NUM>-<NUM> M, <FIG>).

This example examined the binding activity of the antibodies to the PDL1 proteins from different species.

Human, cyno, rat and mouse PDL1-His proteins were coated at <NUM>µg/ml at <NUM> overnight. B12-<NUM> was serially diluted at <NUM>:<NUM> ratio starting from <NUM>µg/ml and incubated with various PDL1 antigen for one hours at RT. The plates were washed and then incubated with HRP conjugated mouse anti-human IgG Fc antibody followed by development with TMB substrate and analyzed by spectrophotometer at OD <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, B12-<NUM> showed comparable binding capability to human PD-L1 and cyno PD-L1. No specific binding of B12-<NUM> to rat or mouse PDL1 was observed.

This example used Raji-PDL1 cells-based blocking assay to evaluate the ability of PDL1 antibodies to block the binding of PD1 protein to its cell ligand PDL1.

Raji cells over-expressing human PDL1 were seeded into the <NUM> well plate at a concentration of <NUM>×<NUM><NUM> cells per well. The B12-<NUM> antibody and the isotype control IgG were serially diluted from <NUM>µg/mL (<NUM>:<NUM>, <NUM> doses) with FACS buffer and incubated with the cells for <NUM> mins on ice. After washing, the diluted biotinylated Avi- and His-tag human PD1 protein (<NUM>µg/mL) was incubated with the antibody-cell complex for <NUM> mins on ice and followed by Streptavidin-PE antibody detection. Fluorescence was measured by flow cytometry and analyzed by Flowjo software to determine the mean fluorescence intensities (MFI). The data showed that the B12-<NUM> antibody showed significant ability to block the binding of PD1 protein to cell-surface PDL1 (<FIG>).

This example assessed the in vitro function of the PDL1 antibodies on T cell activation, using a primary human mixture lymphocytes reaction (MLR) assay.

Briefly, CD14+ monocytes were isolated from human PBMCs of one donor and stimulated with GM-CSF and IL-<NUM> for <NUM> days to differentiate into immature dendritic cells (imDCs). <NUM>×<NUM><NUM>/ml CD4+ T cells from human PBMC of another donor (<NUM>×<NUM><NUM>/well) was cocultured with imDCs (<NUM>×<NUM><NUM>/well) in the presence of serially diluted PDL1 antibody for <NUM> days. The concentration of IFN-y in the supernatant was measured by ELISA. The result showed that B12-<NUM> significantly promoted human T cell activation, as measured by IFNy level in the culture medium (<FIG>).

This example employed human PDL1 extracellular domain (ECD) transgenic mice to evaluate the in vivo efficacy of PDL1 antibody.

Claim 1:
An antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof, wherein the antibody or fragment thereof has specificity to a human Programmed death-ligand <NUM> (PD-L1) protein and comprises a heavy chain variable region (VH) comprising a VH CDR1, a VH CDR2, and a VH CDR3, and a light chain variable region (VL) comprising a VL CDR1, a VL CDR2, and a VL CDR3, wherein:
the VH CDR1 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>,
the VH CDR2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> or <NUM>,
the VH CDR3 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>,
the VL CDR1 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>,
the VL CDR2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>, and
the VL CDR3 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:<NUM>.