Patent ID: 8568723

Claim:
A method of reducing pruritus in a mammal comprising administering to the mammal a therapeutically effective amount of a monoclonal antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof that is capable of competing for binding to a polypeptide consisting of amino acid residues 27 to 164 of SEQ ID NO:2 with the monoclonal antibody produced by the hybridoma deposited with the American Type Culture Collection having ATCC Patent Deposit Designation selected from the group consisting of: a) ATCC Patent Deposit Designation PTA-6815; b) ATCC Patent Deposit Designation PTA-6816; c) ATCC Patent Deposit Designation PTA-6829; d) ATCC Patent Deposit Designation PTA-6830; e) ATCC Patent Deposit Designation PTA-6831; f) ATCC Patent Deposit Designation PTA-6871; g) ATCC Patent Deposit Designation PTA-6872; h) ATCC Patent Deposit Designation PTA-6875; and i) ATCC Patent Deposit Designation PTA-6873, and wherein after administration of the monoclonal antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof the pruritus is reduced.