Multivalent antigen-binding proteins
US5864019A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 6, 1995 |
| Grant date | Jan 26, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 6, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC07K2319/00
- WIPO fieldPharmaceuticals
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A multivalent antigen-binding protein comprises a first Fv fragment bound to at least one further Fv fragment by a connecting structure which links the Fv fragments to each other but which maintains them spaced apart such that the proteins are capable of binding to adjacent antigenic determinants. Typically the connecting structure comprises a spacing polypeptide sequence, which may be about 3 to 16 amino acids in length, connected to a linkage unit which may be a synthetic chemical linker, e.g., a maleimide linker, or is a polypeptide sequence leading from the spacing sequence. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the multivalent antigen binding protein comprises a VH domain having attached to its C-terminal end a V-C joining sequence and an antibody hinge sequence. Preferably one or more of the Fv fragments is a single chain Fv (scFv). The proteins are preferably prepared by recombinant DNA techniques and are useful for in vivo therapeutic and especially diagnostic applications.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.