Site-specific antibody-mediated activation of proapoptotic cytokines: AMAIZEe (antibody-mediated apoptosis inducing cytokines)

US8980265B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• BioNTech AG · DE

Inventors

• Klaus Pfizenmaier · Tiefenbronn, DE
• Harald Wajant · Echterdingen, DE
• Dieter Moosmayer · Berlin, DE
• Thomas Wuest · Bellinzona, CH

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 14, 2003
• Grant date: Mar 17, 2015
• Expiry date: Jan 7, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07K2319/00
• WIPO field: Pharmaceuticals
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Subject matter of the invention are antibody-cytokine fusion proteins having proapoptotic and immune modulating properties, but wherein the cytokine moiety a priori has a bioactivity which is very low or restricted to certain receptor subtypes. These reagent exert their full biological activity via the corresponding cytokine receptor(s) only after antibody-mediated binding of the fusion protein to a specific cell membrane-expressed target molecule. By suitable choice of the antibody specificity, the cytokine activity is directed to the tissue, e.g. tumor tissue, to be treated, and a therapeutic agent can be produced being specifically designed/optimized for the respective indication/tumor entity.