CA2230116A1 - Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to respiratory syncytial virus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to the identification and cloning of a novel neutralizing human monoclonal antibody to the Respiratoy Syncytial Virus. The invention provides such antibodies, fragments of such antibodies retaining RSV-binding ability, chimeric antibodies retaining RSV-binding ability, and pharmaceutical compositions including such antibodies. The invention further provides for isolated nucleic acids encoding the antibodies of the invention and host cells transformed therewith. Finally, the invention provides for diagnostic and therapeutic methods employing the antibodies and nucleic acids of the invention.

Description

CA 02230116 1998-03-lX

NEUTR ALIZING MONOCLONAL A~l[ IBODIES
TO RESPIRATORY SYNCYI IAL VIRUS
FJFT n OF T~F INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the field of imm~ln~logy and specifically tomonoclonal antibodies which bind to and neutralize respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

~ACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
RSV represents a major health problem, worldwide. In the United States alone, there are cu~ ly approximately 250,000 newborn infants and children per year who may develop severe or fatal RSV r1i~e~e RSV is the major viral cause of severe pediatric lower respiratory tract e~es, such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis, worldwide. It also results in a high rate of 15 morbidity and mortality in infants or young children with cardiopulmonary disease or an immllnodeficiency.
In addition to the chil&ood population at risk (McIntosh and Chanock (1990) V;rolo~y.
2nd edn. (Fields and Knipe, eds) Raven Press, Ltd., New York, pp. 1045-1072), there is a considerable and increasingly large population of immllno~u~ ssed adults at risk due to the 20 increasingly widespread application of organ transplant, cancer/lellkemi~ therapies such as bone marrow transplantation and the proliferation of HIV infections in the homosexual population.
HIV is now the leading killer of homosexuals in the 25-40 year age group, in the U.S.A. The aged, who represent a growing population in developing countries, also are at risk due to immune deficiencies resulting from their aging immlme systems, and RSV can be endemic in nursing 2s home populations, particularly during the Winter season.
Whilst antibiotic therapy of b~cteri~l infection has been s~lccec~ful in many diseases, few antibiotics are available for therapy of viral infections and none are ~ clllly available for effective treatment of RSV infection. However the severity of viral infections is usually also correlated with the immune status of the patient. For example, there is a correlation between 30 levels of m~tern~l IgG antibodies to RSV and the resistance of infants to infection during the first months of life, when the risk of severe disease is greatest (Ogilvie, et al., J. Med. Virol. 7:263, 1981). Pooled human gamma globulin with high titer RSV neutralizing antibodies or RSV
neutralizing murine monoclonal antibodies can protect small ~nim~l~ from pulmonary infection SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) WO 97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 --2--with RSV and, when ~-lmini~tered th~ ldl~uLically, can be effective in small ~nim~l~ and primates at the height of RSV infection (Walsh, et al ., Tnfection ~nd Jmml-nit,v, 43 :756, 1984; Prince, et al., J Virol., 55:517, 1985; Prince, et al., Virus Research, 3:193,1985 Prince, et al., J. Virol., 61:1851, 1987, Hemmin~ et al., J. Inf. Dis., 152:1083, 1985). Pooled human IgG cO~ g 5 RSV neutralizing antibodies has also been used clinically, to therapeutic effect, in a study of serious RSV disease in infants and young children (Hemming, et al., Antimicrob. A~nt~
Chemotherap., 31: 1882, 1987). However the use of pooled human sera for the tre~tment of RSV
infection has several drawbacks. Availability is limited. Batches are not reproducible. Titers are 100 to 1,000 fold lower than for monoclonal antibody titers and the risk of iatrogenic infection is l o always present when using human serurn, due to the variable rç~i~t~nce of microorg~ni~m~ to the st.orili7~tion procedures lltili7~-1 An RSV vaccine for active i . . .~ ion, if available, could not be utilized for the tre~tment of newborn babies with imm~tllre immllne systems or patients who are imml-no~u~,essed. In patients where prophylactic passive immunotherapy is required, as a 15 result of a more chronic form of disease, current therapy is me~ ted via periodic intravenous inoculation of human IgG prepared from pooled plasma. This type of therapy, due to the low titers of neutralizing anti-RSV antibodies, involves a large ~lualllily of globulin (e.g., 0.75 gm per kg) and consequently requires a-lmini~tr~tion intravenously, in a clinic or hospital, over a lengthy period (2 to 4 hours), on a monthly basis during the high risk months (fall, winter and early 20 spring).
The neutralizing component of human anti-RSV antibody ~re~v~dlions, derived frompooled human plasma, is only a minor fraction of the total antibody present. The development of mouse monoclonal antibody technology thus provided cloned neukalizing antibodies of greater specific activity than the pooled human plasma plel)~ations. However problems resulting from 25 immllne responses to the mouse antibodies, in human patients, have precluded the general application of these ~ ~dtions for passive immlmc)therapy in hl-m~n~ The development of human monoclonal antibodies to RSV has been thwarted, until recently, by the unsuccessful adaptation of monoclonal technology to the human system. Human hybridomas and immortalized EBV kansformed B-lymphoblastoid cell lines, as well as mouse/human 30 hybridomas are generally unstable antibody producers, even after multiple cloning steps. The cloning and t;x.~ ion of human monoclonal antibodies, in E. coli lltili7in~ phage (Huse et al., Science 246:1275-1281, 1989; Clackson et al., Nature 352:624-628, 1991, Barbas et al., Proc.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) W O 97/10846 PCTrUS96/14937 Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) :88:7978-7982, 1991), has obviated this problem. RSV-specific human monoclonal antibody is now available with a 100 to 1000-fold higher concentration of specific antibody than pooled plasma pl~)a.dlions. The use of these human monoclonal antibody plep~dLions will correspondingly decrease the volume of antibody ~lepaldlions required for s prophylaxis or therapy by the same order of magnitude. Effective doses of monoclonal antibody may now be ~lministered intramuscularly (i.m.), thereby reducing the period of time required.
Prophylaxis in new born babies or infants can now be performed at home, as opposed to in the clinic or hospital, reducing inconvenience and elimin~ting the risk of hospital acquired RSV
disease. This is in addition to the inherent reduction in batch to batch variation of monoclonal I o antibody preparations and the reduction of the danger of iatrogenic infections when compared to pooled human globulin. In fact, the reduced volumes of antibody preparations required for therapy will allow, in general, trç~tment of patients with RSV disease by ~tlmini~tra~ion of antibodies intr~mll~cul~rly. Aerosol therapy is another form of tre~tnn~nf made possible as a result of the increased specific activity of monoclonal antibodies, and is also associated with a 5 decrease in the amount of antibodies required. This type of therapy is highly efficient due to the introduction of antibodies directly to the site of infection in the lungs. The neutralizing ability of Fab fr~E~men~ of the RSV monoclonal antibodies in vivo, by aerosol application or systemic therapy, has been well demonstrated.
Neutralizing epitopes on the RSV virus are mainly confined to the major surface 20 antigens: the F glycoprotein (viral fusion) and G glyco~ t~in (viral ~ cl~ment) Antiserum prepared against either glycoprotein F or glycoprotein G may neutralize RSV with high efficiency (Walsh, et al., I. Gen. Microbiol., 67:505, 1986). However antibodies to glycoprotein F are more frequently neukalizing for RSV. Antiserum to glycoprotein F also inhibits fusion of RSV-infected cells to neighboring ul~inr~cL~d cells. For therapeutic purposes, 2s antibody plc;p~udlions should neutralize a wide range of RSV isolates, incln-ling those of both antigenic subgroups. There are two antigenic subgroups of RSV, A and B, which are each present at all times in the population but which vary in ~ropol lion at any given time. Subgroups A and B are 50% related in glycoprotein F at the DNA sequence level, but appear to be more highly related in the neutralization epitope regions. In contrast, subgroups A and B are only 10%
30 related in glycoprotein G (McIntosh and Chanock, supra). During the last several years, the efficiency of topical immllnotherapy for RSV infection has been increased by two modifications of previous methodology. First, a llli~lule of RSV F immune monoclonal antibodies directed at SllBSTlTUTE SHEET (RULE 26) _ W O97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 the major conserved neutralization epitopes on this glycoprotein was shown effective in topical immunotherapy of RSV infection in the cotton rat. Second, delivery of RSV polyclonal antibodies directly into the lungs in a small particle aerosol (less than 2 ~lm) was also effective therapeutically. The use of monoclonal antibodies should decrease the amount of IgG required for therapy by at least 2 orders of m~gnit~lcle In other studies in cotton rats, parainfluen:za virus type 3 (PIV3) antibodies were also shown to be therapeutic against PIV3 when a~lmini~tered directly into the respiratory tract. This form of topical immllnotherapy has general application for res~hdloly viral pathogens causing disease in the cells lining the lumen of the lower re~ildlol~y tract.
o Hllm~ni7~-1 mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAb), due to the contribution of the grafted mouse CDR sequences, retain a significant proportion of mouse sequence, reprtosentinp; 25-30%
of the V-regions. There is no evidence to suggest any relationship between the mouse RSV 19 ~I aylor et al., Tmmlmolo~y 52: 137-142, 1984) and published human antibody V-region CDR
sequences (Winter et al., Ellr. J. ~mmllnol. 21 :985-991, 1991) and hence repeated ~(1ministration of hllm~ni7ed mouse MAb, as a consequence of the surface location of the CDR regions on the antibody molecule, is likely to result in a human anti-mouse MAb (HAMMA) response. This response would then preclude further theldp~ulic use of the hllm~ni7t?~1 mouse MAb and in particular preclude any use of these hllm~ni7~d mouse MAb sequences for antibody gene therapy, in which case the therapy could not be withdrawn and might adversely affect the health 20 of the patient. HAMMA responses are common in patients given conventional systemic therapy with mouse MAb, res~llting in up to 50% of patients responding after the first dose and up to 95% of patients responding after the second dose. The use of pooled human gamma globulin has been universal for prophylaxis in hepatitis and for tre~tment in hepatitis, Junin virus induced hemorrhagic fever and RSV infection, with no side effects severe enough to preclude this form of 25 passive immllni7~tion. Hence, by inference, the application of a human monoclonal Fab to this form of therapy should have no serious consequence such as that inclllced by the HAMMA
response to mouse antibody or fr~gmentc thereof.
For long term prophylaxis of RSV infection in immlm~ es~ed patients or newborn infants who lack an intact immlme system, it would be preferable to apply an immunoglobulin 30 preparation for passive immlmi7~tion which includes more than one neutralizing epitope on the RSV F glyco~lotehl. This is due to the mutation rate of the RSV F glycoprotein for any single neutrali_ation site being in the range 104 to i 0-5, the rate i~or two neutralization sites being thus SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) W O 97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 --5--10-8 to 10-~~, for three neutralization sites being 10-l2 to 10-15 and so on. A~lmini~tration of anti-RSV antibodies or fr~gmentc thereof, over a significant period of time in multiple patients or as multiple periods of trc~tment in a single patient, would create a ~ignific~nt selective pressure for the development of escape ~ . Hence, to counteract this selective pressure, the inclusion of s antibodies or fr~ment~ to two or more neutralization epitopes is preferable in any ~ p~d~ion to be used for passive immunization. However, prior to the present invention, only one other neutralizing human monoclonal RSV antibody or fragment thereof, was known. The hurnan Fab RSV 19 of Barbas et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 89: 10164- 10168, 1992), included in PCT
Tnt~rn~tional Publication Number WO 94/06448, has an amino acid sequence completely 0 unrelated to those of the anti-RSV antibodies of the present invention. More important, the RSVl9 human Fab binds to an unrelated nelltr~ tion epitope on the RSV F glycoprotein epitope, representing the "B" epitope or antigenic site, recognized by the mouse MAb 1269 (Taylor et al., Tmmunology 52:137-142, 1984). Hence the uniqueness ofthe anti-RSV antibodies of the present invention and the human Fab RSV 19, in both aa sequence and epitopic site, has 15 important implications for the design of immllnotherapeutic vaccines or modalities for the treatment of RSV disease.

SUMl\~ARY OF THE rNVENTION
The present invention relates to monoclonal antibodies which bind to an epitope on the 20 RSV F glycoprotein which include amino acid (aa) residue number 429 or which bind to an epitope affected conforrnationally by a single aa change at this position, and which neutralize with high efficiency antigenic subgroups A and B of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Also described are human immllnoglobulin heavy chain and light chain V-region amino acid sequences which confer nelltr~li7~tion function to the paratope of these monoclonal antibodies.
25 The monoclonal antibodies of the invention have particular utility as pharmaceuticals and reagents for the immllnt~prophylaxis, immlmotherapy and diagnosis of RSV disease. The present invention also provides cell lines and vectors producing or encoding the monoclonal antibodies of the invention.
A major advantage of the monoclonal antibodies of the invention derives from the fact 30 that they include human CDR3 sequences and, in some embodiments, may be entirely human monoclonal antibodies. Hence in vivo use of the fully human monoclonal antibodies of the invention for immunoprophylaxis and immunotherapy of RSV disease greatly reduces the SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) problem of host immune response to passively ~t1mini.ctered antibodies. This problem is commonly encountered when the prior art monoclonal antibodies of xenogeneic or chimeric derivation are l~tili7~l A second important aspect of this advantage is the potential safety of these human monoclonal antibodies for gene therapy applications, in which ~x~l~s~iorl of s xenogeneic or chimeric proteins cont~ininE non-human sequences cannot be termin~te-l The antibodies of the invention are particularly efficacious for immlmntherapy of RSV
disease when ~lmini.~tered directly to the lungs in the form of Fab fr~ment.~ Topical delivery of ~RSV antibodies directly into the lungs has a major advantage over ~d el~ dl ~-lmini.ctration of antibodies for therapy of RSV disease. Polyclonal antibodies delivered by the former route are lo appr~-xim~tely 80 to 160 times more effective in therapy, thereby decreasing the amount of antibody required for therapy by a factor of 80 to 160. A further reduction in the amount of antibody required for therapy, by a factor of 25 to 50, can be achieved by using monoclonal rather than polyclonal antibodies. This means that the total amount of antibody required for therapy by parenteral tre~tment can be reduced by a factor of 2000 to 8000 when monoclonal s antibodies are ~-1mini~teted directly into the lungs for tre~tmer-t of RSV infection. The ability to utilize Fab or Fd fr~mPnt.~ vivo for re~ildlol~r viral infections provides significant advantages over the use of whole antibody molecules including: (1 ) greater tissue penetration;

(2) avoidance of effector functions associated with Fc such as infl~mm~tion; and (3) rapid clearance.
The vivo therapeutic effectiveness of Fab fr~m~nt~ in treating viral infection has been demonstrated for RSV and coronaviruses. This is despite the fact that Fabs are monovalent, precluding antigen cross linkin~, which was commonly thought to be neces~al y for viral neutralization; and that the Fc portion was thought to be n~ce~s~ry for viral clearance as a consequence of complement activation and antibody dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC).
In particular, the present invention provides subst~nti~lly pure polypeptides comprising antibodies selectively binding to an RSV F glycoprotein epitope, wherein the antibodies include a heavy chain CDR3 region having the RSVF2-5 heavy chain CDR3 amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7. Such antibodies include fragment antibodies which are Fd, Fv and Fab fr~ment.c The invention further provides such antibodies which include the heavy chain CDR2 region of SEQ ID NO: 5, and/or the heavy chain CDR1 region of SEQ ID NO: 3. In particularly efe.~d embodiments, the antibodies ofthe invention include the entire RSVF2-5 heavy chain Fd sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1.

SUBSTITUTE S~EET (RULE 26) W O 97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 In some embodiments, the arltibodies of the invention are Fab fragments and further include the light chain CDR3 region of SEQ ID NO: 15, the light chain CDR2 region of SEQ ID
NO: 13, and/or the light chain CDRl region having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 11.
In particularly ~ r~lled embo-liment~ the antibodies of the present invention include the entire s RSVF2-5 light chain sequence of SEQ ID NO: 9.
Because the major antigen binding domain of antibodies is the heavy chain CDR3 region, the present invention also provides polypeptides which consist of, or consist es~çnti~lly of, the heavy chain CDR3 region of the RSVF2-5 antibody disclosed as SEQ ID NO: 7.
The present invention also provides ph~rm~reutical l,l~a~dlions comprising a lo ph~rm~ceutically acceptable carrier and any one or more of the antibodies described above.
In another series of embo-liment~, the present invention also provides isolated nucleic acids comprising nucleotide sequences encoding the antibodies described above. In particular, the present invention provides such nucleic acids in the form of vectors including regulatory sequences operably joined to said nucleotide sequences.
The present invention also provides ph~rm~reutical ~repa alions compricin~ a ph~rm~- elltic ~lly acceptable carrier; and any one or more of the nucleic acids described above.
In another set of embodiments, the present invention provides a method for the tre~tment of RSV disease comI ri~ing ~-lmini~tPrinp~ to a human or other animal subject in need of such trç~tment a therapeutically effective amount of the antibody and/or nucleic acid ph~rm~ceutical 20 compositions described above. The methods can be for prophylaxis of RSV infection or for ke~tment of active RSV disease.
In yet another set of embo-limPnts, the present invention provides a method of ~lPtecting the presence of RSV in a biological sample compri~in~ contacting such a sample with any one or more of the antibodies described above. In another set of embo~liments, the invention provides a 2s method of (i~PtPcting the presence of RSV in vivo comprising contacting a subject with an effective amount of any one or more of the antibodies described above, the antibodies contained in a phs~rm~ce--tically acceptable carrier. Binding of the antibodies to RSV, then can be detected as a ~iPtprmin~tion of the presence of RSV.
The invention also involves the use of the antibodies and/or nucleic acids described above 30 in the p~ dld~ion of a medicament. The medicament can be for any of the diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes discussed herein.
Finally, the present invention provides host cells including a vector comprising a nucleic SUBSTITUTE SI~EET (RULE 26) W O 97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 acid encoding one of the antibodies of the present invention.

I)ET~TT FT~ DFSC~TPTION OF THF INVENTION
nefinitiorl~.
As used herein, the term "antibody" means an imml1nnglobulin molecule or a fragment of an imm~1noglobulin molecule having the ability to specifically bind to a particular antigen.
Antibodies are well known to those of ordinary skill in the science of imml1nology. As used herein, the term "antibody" means not only intact antibody molecules but also fr~gment~ of antibody molecules ret~inin~ antigen binding ability. Such fr~gment~ are also well known in the o art and are regularly employed both in vitro and in vivo. In particular, as used herein, the term "antibody" means not only intact immunoglobulin molecules but also antigen binding active fr~gment~ such as the well-known active fr~gment~ F(ab')2, Fab, Fv, and Fd.
As used herein, the term "RSV disease" means any disease caused, directly or indirectly, by a Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) as well as diseases or conditions which predispose a patient to infection by RSV. Examples of ~ e~çs falling into the former category include pneumonia and bronchiolitis. Diseases and conditions in the latter category (i.e., those which place the patient at risk of severe RSV infection) include cystic fibrosis, congenital heart disease, cancer, age related immlmo~u~ ;s ,ion and, generally, any condition that causes a state of immnn~lsuppression or decreased function of the immnnç system such as post-operative organ transplantation regimens or premature birth.
As used herein with respect to polypeptides, the term "substantially pure" means that the polypeptides are ecsçnti:~lly free of other substances with which they may be found in nature or in ViVQ systems to an extent practical and ~I,lo~liate for their intended use. In particular, the polypeptides are sufficiently pure and are sufficiently free from other biological constituents of their hosts cells so as to be useful in, for example, generating antibodies, sequencing, or producing ph~rm~e11tical plep~dlions. By techniques well known in the art, substantially pure polypeptides may be produced in light of the nucleic acid and amino acid sequences disclosed herein. Because a substantially purified polypeptide of the invention may be ~t1mixecl with a ph~rm~ceutically acceptable carrier in a ph~rm~eutical ~ udLion~ the polypeptide may comprise only a small percentage by weight of the plep~dlion. The polypeptide is nonetheless snbst~nti~lly pure in that it has been subst~nti~lly separated from the substances with which it may be associated in living systems.

SUBSTITUTE SI~EET (RULE 26) .

-W O 97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 _ 9 _ As used herein with respect to nucleic acids, the term "isolated" means: (I) amplified in vitro by, for example, polymerase chain reaction (PCR); (ii) recombinantly produced by cloning;
(iii) purified, as by cleavage and gel separation; or (iv) synthe~i7.?cl by, for example, chemical synthesis. An isolated nucleic acid is one which is readily manipulable by recombinant DNA
techniques well known in the art. Thus, a nucleotide sequence contained in a vector in which S' and 3' restriction sites are known or for which polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer sequences have been disclosed is considered isolated but a nucleic acid sequence existing in its native state in its natural host is not. An isolated nucleic acid may be substantially purified, but need not be. For example, a nucleic acid that is isolated within a cloning or expression vector is lo not pure in that it may comprise only a tiny percentage of the m~te~ in the cell in which it resides. Such a nucleic acid is isolated, however, as the term is used herein because it is readily manipulable by standard techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
As used herein, a coding sequence and regulatory sequences are said to be "operably joined" when they are covalently linked in such a way as to place the e~lession or transcription of the coding sequence under the influence or control of the regulatory sequences. If it is desired that the coding sequences be tr~n~l~te~ into a functional protein, two DNA sequences are said to be operably joined if induction of a promoter in the 5' regulatory sequences results in the tr~n~cription of the coding sequence and if the nature of the linkage between the two DNA
sequences does not (1) result in the introduction of a frame-shift mutation, (2) interfere with the ability of the promoter region to direct the transcription of the coding sequences, or (3) h~lelrt;
with the ability of the corresponding RNA transcript to be translated into a protein. Thus, a promoter region would be operably joined to a coding sequence if the promoter region were capable of effecting transcription of that DNA sequence such that the reslllting kanscript might be tr~n~l~t~l into the desired protein or polypeptide.
2s The precise nature of the regulatory sequences needed for gene ~ es~ion may vary between species or cell types, but shall in general include, as necessary, 5' non-transcribing and 5' non-tr~n~l~ting sequences involved with initiation of transcription and translation respectively, ~ such as a TATA box, capping sequence, CAAT sequence, and the like. Especially, such S' non-transcribing regulatory sequences will include a promoter region which includes a promoter sequence for transcriptional control of the operably joined gene. Regulatory sequences may also include enhancer sequences or upstream activator sequences, as desired.
As used herein, a "vector" may be any of a number of nucleic acids into which a desired SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) sequence may be inserted by restriction and ligation for transport between different genetic ellvho~ ents or for expression in a host cell. Vectors are typically composed of DNA although RNA vectors are also available. Vectors include, but are not limited to, pl~cmi~1~ and phagemids.
A cloning vector is one which is able to replicate in a host cell, and which is further characterized 5 by one or more endonuclease restriction sites at which the vector may be cut in a determin~ble fashion and into which a desired DNA sequence may be ligated such that the new recombinant vector retains its ability to replicate in the host cell. In the case of plasmids, replication of the desired sequence may occur many times as the plasmid increases in copy number within the host bacterium or just a single time per host before the host reproduces by mitosis. In the case of o phage, replication may occur actively during a Iytic phase or passively during a Iysogenic phase.
An expression vector is one into which a desired DNA sequence may be inserted by restriction and ligation such that it is operably joined to regulatory sequences and may be expressed as an RNA transcript. Vectors may further contain one or more marker sequences suitable for use in the identification of cells which have or have not been transformed or transfected with the vector.
s Markers include, for example, genes encoding proteins which increase or decrease either rç~i~t~nce or sensitivity to antibiotics or other compounds, genes which encode enzymes whose activities are detectable by standard assays known in the art (e.g., 13-galactosidase or ~Ik~line phosphatase), and genes which visibly affect the phenotype of transformed or transfected cells, hosts, colonies or plaques. Preferred vectors are those capable of autonomous replication and 20 expression of the structural gene products present in the DNA segments to which they are operably joined.
Novel Anti-RSV Monoclonal Antibodies The present invention derives, in part, from the isolation and chara-;Le~ ion of a novel, fully human monoclonal antibody which selectively binds to and neutralizes RSV and which we 25 have ~lesignzltl~d RSVF2-5. As described more fully below, this new monoclonal antibody has been shown to bind to the RSV F glycoprotein and to neutralize RSV in vivo. The paratope of the RSVF2-5 Fab fragment associated with the neutralization epitope on the RSV F glycoprotein F 1 subunit is defined by the amino acid (aa) sequences of the immunoglobulin heavy and light chain V-regions depicted in Table 5 and SEQ ID NO: 1 and SEQ ID NO: 9. The nucleic acid 30 sequences coding for these aa sequences were identified as described in Example 1, by seqll~ncing from both the 5' and 3' ends of the Fd heavy chain fragment and light chain. These nucleic acid sequences have been deposited with the National Center for Genome Resources SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) W O97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 (accession numbers L41061 and L41062) and are disclosed herein as SEQ ID NO: 21 and SEQ
ID NO: 22. However, due to the degeneracy of the DNA code, the paratope is more properly defined by the derived aa sequences depicted in Table 5, in SEQ ID NO: 1 and SEQ ID NO: 9.
The antibodies of the present invention selectively bind to an epitope on the RSV F
5 glycoploteill which either includes amino acid (aa) residue number 429 or which is affected conformationally by a single aa change at this position. This is demonstrated by the ability of the antibodies of the present invention to neutralize RSV strains in which position 429 of the RSV F
glycoprotein is occupied by an arginine residue but not an RSV strain in which this position is occupied by a serine residue (see Example 3, Table 4). A murine antibody and hl-nn~ni7~1 10 murine antibodies specific for a similar, if not identical, RSV epitope were described in PCT
Tntern:~tional Publication Number WO 92/04381. Of particular importance, the antibodies of the present invention are specific for, and neutralize, both the A and B antigenic subgroups of the respiratory syncytial virus.
In one set of embo~liment~, the present invention provides the intact, fully human 5 RSVF2-5 monoclonal antibody in isolated form and in ph~rm~eutical ~l~p~alions. Similarly, as described below, the present invention provides isolated nucleic acids, host cells transformed with nucleic acids, and ph~ eutical plep~dlions including isolated nucleic acids, encoding the intact, fully human RSVF2-5 monoclonal antibody. Finally, the present invention provides methods, as described more fully below, employing these antibodies and nucleic acids in the 20 y~ and in vivo diagnosis and therapy of RSV disease.
Significantly, as is well-known in the art, only a small portion of an antibody molecule, the paratope, is involved in the binding of the antibody to its epitope (see, in general, Clark, W.R. (1986) The Experimental Foundations of Modern Tmmlmolo~v Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York; Roitt, I. (1991) F~enti~l Immunology, 7th Ed., Blackwell Scientific Publications, 25 Oxford). The pFc' and Fc regions, for example, are effectors of the complement cascade but are not involved in antigen binding. An antibody from which the pFc' region has been enzymatically cleaved, or which has been produced without the pFc' region, ~le~ign~tecl an F(ab')2 fr~gment, retains both of the antigen binding sites of an intact antibody. Similarly, an antibody from which the Fc region has been enzymatically cleaved, or which has been produced without the Fc region, 30 design~t~l an Fab fragment, retains one of the antigen binding sites of an intact antibody molecule. Procee~ling further, Fab fr~gment~ consist of a covalently bound antibody light chain and a portion of the antibody heavy chain denoted Fd. The Fd frz-gment~ are the major SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) W O 97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 ~let~rmin~nt of antibody specificity (a single Fd fragment may be associated with up to ten di~lellt light chains without altering antibody specificity) and Fd fr~gmf!nt~ retain epitope-binding ability in isolation.
Within the antigen-binding portion of an antibody, as is well-known in the art, there are s complementarity clet~rmining regions (CDRs), which directly interact with the epitope of the antigen, and framework regions (FRs), which m~int~in the tertiary structure of the paratope (see, in general, Clark, 1986; Roitt, 1991). In both the heavy chain Fd fragment and the light chain of IgG immunoglobulins, there are four framework regions (FRl through FR4) separated respectively by three complement~rity dçle~ regions (CDRl through CDR3). The CDRs, l o and in particular the CDR3 regions, and more particularly the heavy chain CDR3, are largely responsible for antibody specificity.
The complete amino acid sequences of the antigen-binding Fab portion of the RSVF2-5 monoclonal antibody as well as the relevant FR and CDR regions are disclosed herein. SEQ ID
NO: 1 discloses the amino acid sequence of the Fd fragment of RSVF2-5. The amino acid sequences of the heavy chain FRl, CDRl, FR2, CDR2, FR3, CDR3 and FR4 regions aredisclosed as SEQ ID NO: 2 through SEQ ID NO: 8, respectively. SEQ ID NO: 9 discloses the amino acid sequence of the light chain of RSVF2-5. The amino acid sequences of the light chain FRl, CDRl, FR2, CDR2, FR3, CDR3 and FR4 regions are disclosed as SEQ ID NO: 10 through SEQ ID NO: 16, respectively.
It is now well-established in the art that the non-CDR regions of a mzlmm~ n antibody may be replaced with similar regions of conspecific or heterospecific antibodies while retaining the epitopic specificity of the original antibody. This is most clearly manifested in the development and use of"hl-m~ni7~d" antibodies in which non-human CDRs are covalently joined to human FR and/or Fc/pFc' regions to produce a functional antibody. Thus, for example, 2s PCT Tntern~tional Publication Nurnber WO 92/04381 teaches the production and use of hllm~ni7t?d murine RSV antibodies in which at least a portion of the murine FR regions have been replaced by FR regions of human origin. Such antibodies, including fr~gm~nts of intact antibodies with antigen-binding ability, are often referred to as "chimeric" antibodies.
Thus, as will be ~p~ to one of o~ skill in the art, the present invention also provides for F(ab')2, Fab, Fv and Fd fr~gm~ntc of the RSVF2-5 monoclonal antibody; chimeric antibodies in which the Fc and/or FR and/or CDRl and/or CDR2 and/or light chain CDR3 regions of the RSVF2-5 antibody have been replaced by homologous human or non-human SllBSTlTUTE S~EET (RULE 26) W O 97/108~6 PCTAUS96/14937 -13-sequences, chimeric F(ab')2 fragment antibodies in which the FR and/or CDRl and/or CDR2 and/or light chain CDR3 regions of the RSVF2-5 antibody have been replaced by homologous human or non-human sequences; chimeric Fab fragment antibodies in which the FR and/or CDR1 and/or CDR2 and/or light chain CDR3 regions have been replaced by homologous human s or non-human sequences; and chimeric Fd fragment antibodies in which the FR and/or CDRl and/or CDR2 regions have been replaced by homologous human or non-human sequences.
Thus, those skilled in the art may alter the RSVF2-5 antibody by the construction of CDR
grafted or chimeric antibodies or antibody fr~gment~ cont~inin~, all or part thereof, of the disclosed heavy and light chain V-region CDR aa sequences (Jones et al., Nature 321:522, 1986, 0 Verhoeyem et al., Science 39:1534, 1988 and Tempest et al., 13io/Technolo~y 9:266, 1991), without destroying the specificity of the antibodies for the RSV F glycoprotein epitope. Such CDR grafted or chimeric antibodies or antibody fr~gment~ can be effective in prevention and trç~tment of RSV infection in ~nim~l~ (e.g. cattle) and man.
In plerell~d embo~liment~, the chimeric antibodies of the invention are fully human 15 monoclonal antibodies including at least the heavy chain CDR3 region of the RSVF2-5 antibody.
As noted above, such chimeric antibodies may be produced in which some or all of the FR
regions of RSVF2-5 have been replaced by other homologous human FR regions. In addition, the Fc portions may be replaced so as to produce IgA or IgM as well as IgG antibodies bearing some or all of the CDRs of the RSVF2-5 antibody. Of particular importance is the inclusion of 20 the RSVF2-5 heavy chain CDR3 region and, to a lesser extent, the other CDRs of RSVF2-5.
Such fully human chimeric antibodies will have particular utility in that they will not evoke an immune response against the antibody itself.
It is also possible, in accordance with the present invention, to produce chimeric antibodies including non-human sequences. Thus, one may use, for example, murine, ovine, 25 equine, bovine or other m~mm~ n Fc or FR sequences to replace some or all of the Fc or FR
regions of the RSVF2-5 antibody. Some of the CDRs may be replaced as well. Again, however, it is preferred that at least the heavy chain CDR3 region of the RSVF2-5 antibody be included in such chimeric antibodies and, to a lesser extent, it is also plerell~d that some or all of the other CDRs of RSVF2-5 be included. Such chimeric antibodies bearing non-human immunoglobulin 30 sequences admixed with the CDRs of the human RSVF2-5 monoclonal antibody are not ed for use in hl-m~n~ and are particularly not preferred for e~t~ntled use because they may evoke an immune response against the non-human sequences. They may, of course, be used for SUBSTITUTE SI~EEr (~ULE 26) brief periods or in immllnn~u~ ssed individuals but, again, fully human antibodies are preferred. Beeause, however, RSV also infeets animals sueh as eattle, and beeause such antibodies may be used for brief periods or in immnn~suppressed subjeets, chimeric antibodies bearing non-human m~mm~ n Fc and FR sequences but including at least the RSVF2-5 heavy 5 chain CDR3 are eontemplated as ~ItPrn~tive embo~limentc of the present invention.
For inoeulation or prophylaetie uses, the antibodies of the present invention are preferably intact antibody molecules including the Fc region. Such intact antibodies will have longer half-lives than smaller fragment antibodies (e.g. Fab) and are more suitable for intravenous, intraperitoneal, intr~ml-ce~ r, intracavity, subcutaneous, or tr~ncderm~l 10 ~lminictration.
When ~timini.~tP.red topieally to the lumenal lining of the lungs, as by aerosol, Fab fr~gmentc, including chimeric Fab fr~gmentc, are pler~,l.ed. Fabs offer several advantages over F(ab')2 and whole immlmoglobulin molecules for this th~,alJ~ulic modality. First, because Fabs have only one binding site for their eognate antigen, the formation of immllne eomplexes is 5 preeluded whereas sueh eomplexes ean be generated when bivalent F(ab')2 s and whole immunoglobulin moleeules eneounter their target antigen. This is of some importanee beeause immune eomplex deposition in tissues ean produce adverse infl~mm~tory reactions. Second, because Fabs lack an Fc region they cannot trigger adverse infl~mm~tory reactions that are activated by Fc, sueh as aetivation of the eomplement e~ce~cle~ Third, the tissue penetration of 20 the small Fab molecule is likely to be much better than that of the larger whole antibody. Fourth, Fabs can be produced easily and inexpensively in bacteria, such as ~ eoli, whereas whole immunoglobulin antibody molecules require m~mm~ n cells for their production in useful amounts. The latter entails transfection of immlmoglobulin sequences into m~mm~ n cells with resultant transformation. Amplification of these sequences must then be achieved by 2s rigorous selective procedures and stable transformants must be identified and m~int~inerl The whole immlln- globulin molecules must be produced by stably transformed, high expression m~mm~ n eells in eulture with the ~ttPnci~nt problems of serum-eo"l 1i~i"p eulture medium. In contrast, production of Fabs in E. coli el i, I l; l l~ these difficulties and makes it possible to produce these antibody fragments in large fermentPrs whieh are less expensive than eell culture-30 derived products.
In addition to Fabs, smaller antibody fr~gmçntc and epitope-binding peptides having binding specifieity for the RSVF2-5 epitope of RSV are also contemplated by the present SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) W O 97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 -15-invention and can also be used to neutralize the virus. For example, single chain antibodies can be constructed according to the method of U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,778, to Ladner et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. Single chain antibodies comprise the variable regions of the ~ light and heavy chains joined by a flexible linker moiety. Yet smaller is the antibody fragment 5 known as the single domain antibody or Fd, which comprises an isolated VH single domain.
Techniques for obtaining a single domain antibody with at least some of the binding specificity of the intact antibody from which they are derived are known in the art. For example, Ward, et al., Nature 341: 644-646 (1989), disclose a method of screening to identify an antibody heavy chain variable region (VH single domain antibody) with sufficient affinity for its target epitope to o bind thereto in isolated form.
It is possible to cletermin~, without undue experimentation, if an altered or chimeric antibody has the same specificity as the RSVF2-5 antibody of the invention by ascertaining whether the former blocks the latter from binding to RSV. If the monoclonal antibody being tested competes with the RSVF2-5 antibody, as shown by a decrease in binding of the RSVF2-5 15 antibody, then it is likely that the two monoclonal antibodies bind to the same, or a closely related, epitope. Still another way to (let~nnine whether a monoclonal antibody has the specificity of the RSVF2-5 antibody of the invention is to pre-incubate the RSVF2-5 antibody with RSV with which it is normally reactive, and then add the monoclonal antibody being tested to det~rmine if the monoclonal antibody being tested is inhibited in its ability to bind RSV. If 20 the monoclonal antibody being tested is inhibited then, in all likelihood, it has the same, or a functionally equivalent, epitope and specificity as the RSVF2-5 antibody of the invention.
Screening of monoclonal antibodies of the invention, also can be carried out lltili7.ing RSV and del~ ~ ,ni.~ whether the monoclonal antibody ne~ltr~li7~s RSV.
By using the antibodies of the invention, it is now possible to produce anti-idiotypic 25 antibodies which can be used to screen other monoclonal antibodies to identify whether the antibody has the same binding specificity as an antibody of the invention. In addition, such anti-idiotypic antibodies can be used for active immllni7~tion (Herlyn, et al., Science. 232:100, 1986).
Such anti-idiotypic antibodies can be produced using well-known hybridoma techniques (Kohler and Milstein, Nature, 256:495,1975). An anti-idiotypic antibody is an antibody which 30 recognizes unique determin~nt~ present on the monoclonal antibody produced by the cell line of interest. These det~rmin~nts are located in the hypervariable region of the antibody. It is this region which binds to a given epitope and, thus, is responsible for the specificity of the antibody.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) -An anti-idiotypic antibody can be ~cll~ed by immunizing an animal with the monoclonal antibody of interest. The immllni7~-1 animal will recognize and respond to the idiotypic det.?rminzlnt~ of the immunizing antibody and produce an antibody to these idiotypic rl~t~rmin~nt~. By using the anti-idiotypic antibodies ofthe immlmi7~Dcl animal, which are 5 specific for the monoclonal antibodies of the invention, it is possible to identify other clones with the same idiotype as the antibody of the hybridoma used for i,..~ i7~tion. Idiotypic identity between monoclonal antibodies of two cell lines demonstrates that the two monoclonal antibodies are the same with respect to their recognition of the same epitopic determin~nt Thus, by using anti-idiotypic antibodies, it is possible to identify other hybridomas expressing o monoclonal antibodies having the same epitopic specificity.
It is also possible to use the anti-idiotype technology to produce monoclonal antibodies which mimic an epitope. For example, an anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibody made to a first monoclonal antibody will have a binding domain in the hypervariable region which is the image of the epitope bound by the first monoclonal antibody. Thus, the anti-idiotypic monoclonal 15 antibody can be used for i",...~ ion, since the anti-idiotype monoclonal antibody binding domain effectively acts as an antigen.
Nucleic Acids Fnco~ Anti-RSV ~ntibodies Given the disclosure herein of the amino acid sequences of the heavy chain Fd and light chain variable domains of the RSVF2-5 anti-RSV antibody, one of ordinary skill in the art is 20 now enabled to produce nucleic acids which encode this antibody or which encode the various fragment antibodies or chimeric antibodies described above. It is contemplated that such nucleic acids will be operably joined to other nucleic acids forming a recombinant vector for cloning or for expression of the antibodies of the invention. The present invention includes any recombinant vector co,.l~ g the coding sequences, or part thereof, whether for prokaryotic or 2s eukaryotic transformation, transfection or gene therapy. Such vectors may be ple~aled using conventional molecular biology techniques, known to those with skill in the art, and would comprise DNA coding sequences for the RSVF2-5 immunoglobulin V-regions includingframework and CDRs or parts thereof, and a suitable promoter either with (Whittle et al., Protein E~. 1 :499, 1987 and Burton et al., Science 266: 1024-1027, 1994) or without (Marasco et al., 30 Proc. N~tl Acad. Sci. (USA) 90:7889, 1993 and Duan et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 91:5075-5079,1994) a signal sequence for export or secretion. Such vectors may be transformed or transfected into prokaryotic (Huse et al., Science 246:1275, 1989, Ward et al., Nature 341:

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) W O97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 644-646, 1989; Marks et al., J. Mol. Biol. 222:581, 1991 and Barbas et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.
SA! 88:7978, 991) or eukaryotic (Whittle et al., 1987 and Burton et al., 1994) cells or used for gene therapy (Marasco et al., 1993 and Duan et al., 1994) by conventional techniques, known to ~ those with skill in the art.
s The ~ e~ion vectors of the present invention include regulatory sequences operably joined to a nucleotide sequence encoding one of the antibodies of the invention. As used herein, the term "regulatory sequences" means nucleotide sequences which are necessary for or conducive to the transcription of a nucleotide sequence which encodes a desired polypeptide and/or which are necessary for or conducive to the translation of the rçslllting L~ s~ into the desired polypeptide. Regulatory sequences include, but are not limited to, 5' sequences such as operators, promoters and ribosome binding sequences, and 3' sequences such as polyadenylation signals. The vectors of the invention may optionally include 5' leader or signal sequences, 5' or 3' sequences encoding fusion products to aid in protein purification, and various m~rker~ which aid in the identification or selection of transformants. The choice and design of an ~o~liate vector is within the ability and discretion of one of oldin~ y skill in the art. The subsequent purification of the antibodies may be accomplished by any of a variety of standard means known in the art.
A preferred vector for screening monoclonal antibodies, but not necess~rily pl~r~ d for the mass production of the antibodies of the invention, is a recombinant DNA molecule cont~ining a nucleotide sequence that codes for and is capable of ~ ssillg a fusion polypeptide cont~ining, in the direction of amino- to carboxy-t~ i, (1) a prokaryotic secretion signal domain, (2) a polypeptide of the invention, and, optionally, (3) a fusion protein domain. The vector includes DNA regulatory sequences for ~le~ g the fusion polypeptide, preferably prokaryotic regulatory sequences. Such vectors can be constructed by those with skill in the art and have been described by Smith et al. (Science 228: 1315- 1317, 1985), Clackson et al. (Nature 352:624-628, 1991); Kang et al. (in "Methods: A Companion to Methods in Enzymology: Vol.
2", R.A. Lerner and D.R. Burton, ed. ~c~demic Press, NY, pp 111 - 118,1991); Barbas et al.
(Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 88:7978-7982, 1991), Roberts et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 89:2429-2433, 1992) A fusion polypeptide may be useful for purification of the antibodies of the invention.
The fusion domain may, for example, include a poly-His tail which allows for purification on Ni+ columns or the maltose binding protein of the commercially available vector pMAL (New SUBSTITUTE SI~EET (RULE 26) W O97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 Fngl~n~l BioLabs, Beverly, MA). A currently ~ler~lled, but by no means necessary, fusion domain is a fil~mentous phage membrane anchor. This domain is particularly useful for s~le~ g phage display libraries of monoclonal antibodies but may be of less utility for the mass production of antibodies. The filamentous phage membrane anchor is preferably a domain of the cpIII or cpVIII coat protein capable of associating with the matrix of a fil~men~ous phage particle, thereby incorporating the fusion polypeptide onto the phage surface, to enable solid phase binding to specific antigens or epitopes and thereby allow enrichment and selection of the specific antibodies or fr~gment~ encoded by the phagemid vector.
The secretion signal is a leader peptide domain of a protein that targets the protein l o membrane of the host cell, such as the periplasmic membrane of gram negative b~cteri~ A
~,~re"~id secretion signal for E~. coli is a pelB secretion signal. The predicted amino acid residue sequences of the secretion signal domain from two pelB gene producing variants from F.r~,vinia ~rotova are described in Lei, et al. (Nature 381 :543-546, 1988). The leader sequence of the pelB protein has previously been used as a secretion signal for fusion proteins (Better, et al., ~cien~ 240:1041-1043, 1988; Sastry, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci (USA) 86:5728-5732, 1989;
and Mullinax, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 87:8095-8099, 1990). Amino acid residue sequences for other secretion signal polypeptide domains from E. coli useful in this invention can be found in Oliver, In Neidhard, F.C. (ed.), F~herichia coli and Salmonell~ Typhinlu,il."~
American Society for Microbiology, Washington, D.C., 1:56-69 (1987).
To achieve high levels of gene ~ ssion in E. coli, it is necessary to use not only strong promoters to generate large quantities of mRNA, but also ribosome binding sites to ensure that the mRNA is efficiently tr~n~l~fr~l In 1~ coli, the ribosome binding site includes an initiation codon (AUG) and a sequence 3-9 nucleotides long located 3-11 nucleotides upstream from the initiation codon (Shine, et al., Nature 254:34, 1975). The sequence, AGGAGGU, which is called the Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence, is compl~ment~ry to the 3' end of 1~. coli 16S rRNA.
Binding of the ribosome to mRNA and the sequence at the 3' end of the rnRNA can be affected by several factors:
(i) The degree of complementarity between the SD sequence and 3' end of the 16S
rRNA.
(ii) The spacing and possibly the DNA sequence lying between the SD sequence and the AUG (Roberts, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 76:760.,1979a: Roberts, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (~JSA) 76:5596, 1979b; Guarente, et al., Science SVBSTITUTE SltEET (RULE 26) WO 97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 209:1428, 1980; and Guarente, et al., Cell 20:543, 1980). Optimization is achieved by measuring the level of ~x~s~ion of genes in plasmids in which this spacing is systematically altered. Comparison of different mRNAs shows that there are statistically plercll~d sequences from positions -20 to +13 (where the A
s ofthe AUG is position 0) (Gold, et al., Annl- Rev. Microbiol. 35:365, 1981).
Leader sequences have been shown to inflllence translation drarnatically (Roberts, et al., 1979a, b supra).
(iii) The nucleotide sequence following the AUG, which affects ribosome binding (Taniguchi, et al., J. Mol. Riol.~ 118:533, 1978).
The 3' regulatory sequences define at least one t~rmin~tion (stop) codon in frame with and operably ~oined to the heterologous fusion polypeptide.
In ~l~rcl.ed embo~lim~nt.~ with a prokaryotic expression host, the vector utilized includes a prokaryotic origin of replication or replicon, i.e., a DNA sequence having the ability to direct autonomous replication and m~inten~nl~e of the recombinant DNA molecule extrachromosomally in a prokaryotic host cell, such as a bacterial host cell, transformed therewilh. Such origins of replication are well known in the art. Preferred origins of replication are those that are efficient in the host org~ni~m A ~l~r~.led host cell is E. coli. For use of a vector in E. coli, a preferred origin of replication is ColE1 found in pBR322 and a variety of other common pl~mil1c Also plerell~d is the plSA origin of replication found on pACYC and its derivatives. The ColE1 and p 15A replicons have been extensively utilized in molecular biology, are available on a variety of plasmids and are described by Sambrook. et al., Molecular Clonin~: A Laboratory M~n~ 2nd edition, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1989).
In addition, those embo~liment~ that include a prokaryotic replicon preferably also include a gene whose expression confers a selective advantage, such as drug resistance, to a bacterial host transformed therewith. Typical b~ct~ri~l drug resistance genes are those that confer resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, neomycin/kanamycin or chlor~mphenicol. Vectors typically also contain convenient restriction sites for insertion of tr~n~l~t~ble DNA sequences.
Exemplary vectors are the plasmids pUC18 and pUC19 and derived vectors such as pcDNAII
available from Invitrogen, (San Diego, CA).
When the antibody of the invention include both heavy chain and light chain sequences, these sequences may be encoded on separate vectors or, more conveniently, may be expressed by a single vector. The heavy and light chain may, after translation or after secretion, form the SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RU~E 26) W O 97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 -20-heterodimeric structure of natural antibody molecules. Such a heterodimeric antibody may or may not be stabilized by disulfide bonds between the heavy and light chains.
A vector for c~res~ion of heterodimeric antibodies, such as the intact antibodies of the invention or the F(ab')2, Fab or Fv fragment antibodies of the invention, is a recombinant DNA
s molecule adapted for receiving and ~ es~hlg tr~n~l~t~ble first and second DNA sequences.
That is, a DNA expression vector for cxplcS~ g a heterodimeric antibody provides a system for independently cloning (inserting) the two tr~ncl~t~hle DNA sequences into two separate cassettes present in the vector, to form two scpal~lc cistrons for expressing the first and second polypeptides of a heterodimeric antibody. The DNA expression vector for c~lcsshlg two lo cistrons is referred to as a dicistronic e~lcs~ion vector.
Preferably, the vector comprises a first cassette that includes U~ ;idlll and dov~ c~ll DNA regulatory sequences operably joined via a sequence of nucleotides adapted for directional ligation to an insert DNA. The ul-~l-ea--l tr~n~l~t~hle sequence preferably encodes the secretion signal as described above. The c~sett~ includes DNA regulatory sequences for expressing the 15 first antibody polypeptide that is produced when an insert tr~n~l~t~ble DNA sequence (insert DNA)is directionally inserted into the cassette via the sequence of nucleotides adapted for directional ligation.
The dicistronic c~ ssion vector also contains a second cassette for expressing the second antibody polypeptide. The second cassette includes a second tr~n~l~ts~hle DNA sequence 20 that preferably encodes a secretion sighal, as described above, operably joined at its 3' terminus via a sequence of nucleotides adapted for directional ligation to a downstream DNA sequence of the vector that typically defines at least one stop codon in the reading frarne of the cassette. The second tr~n~l~t~hle DN~ sequence is operably joined at its 5' t~ . ,.~i....~ to DNA regulatory sequences forming the 5' elements. The second cassette is capable, upon insertion of a 2s tr~n~l~t~hle DNA sequence (insert DNA), of c~lcs~ing the second fusion polypeptide comprising a secretion signal with a polypeptide coded by the insert DNA.
The antibodies of the present invention may also, of course, be produced by eukaryotic cells such as CHO cells, human hybridomas, immortalized B-lymphoblastoid cells, and the like.
In this case, a vector is constructed in which eukaryotic regulatory sequences are operably joined 30 to the nucleotide sequences encoding the antibody polypeptide or polypeptides. The design and selection of an a~plop-iate eukaryotic vector is within the ability and discretion of one of ordinary skill in the art. The subsequent purification of the antibodies may be accomplished by SVBSTITUTE SHEET (RlJLE 26) W O 97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 -21-any of a variety of standard means known in the art.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides host cells, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic, transformed or transfected with, and therefore including, the vectors of the present invention.
5 Di~nostic ~nc~ Pharm~ ltical Anti-RSV Antibody Plc~d~dlions The invention also relates to a method for pre~ lg ~ gnostic or ph~rm~e~ltical compositions comprising the monoclonal antibodies of the invention or polynucleotide sequences encoding the antibodies of the invention or part thereof, the ph~rm~eutical compositions being used for immunotherapy of RSV disease. The ph~rm~ceutical ~lcpal~lion o includes a ph~rm~reutically acceptable carrier. Such carriers, as used herein, means a non-toxic m~teri~l that does not hllclrcre with the effectiveness of the biological activity of the active ingredients. The term "physiologically acceptable" refers to a non-toxic m~teri~l that is compatible with a biological system such as a cell, cell culture, tissue, or organism. The characteristics of the carrier will depend on the route of ~1mini~tration. Physiologically and 5 ph~rm~çeutically acceptable carriers include ~ ent~ fillers, salts, buffers, stabilizers, solubilizers, and other m~teri~l~ which are well known in the art.
A plcrcllcd embodiment of the invention relates to monoclonal antibodies whose heavy chains comprise in CDR3 the polypeptide PVANIDY, and/or whose light chains comprise in CDR3 the polypeptide QSYDSENPWV and conservative variations of these peptides. Also 20 encomp~e~l by the present invention are certain amino acid sequences that bind to epitopic sequences in glycoprotein F of RSV which include aa residue number 429 or which are conformationally affected by a single change at aa residue number 429 from arginine to serine, and which confer neutralization of RSV when bound thereto. The term "conservative variation"
as used herein denotes the repl~cement of an amino acid residue by another, biologically similar 2s residue. Examples of conservative variations include the ~ub~lilulion of one hydrophobic residue such as isoleucine, valine, leucine or methionine for another, or the substitution of one polar residue for another, such as the substitution of arginine for lysine, glutamic for aspartic acids, or glllt~mine for asparagine, and the like. The term "conservative variation" also includes the use of a substituted amino acid in place of an unsubstituted parent amino acid provided that antibodies 30 having the substituted polypeptide also neutralize RSV. Analogously, another preferred embodiment of the invention relates to polynucleotides which encode the above noted heavy chain polypeptide and to polynucleotide sequences which are complementary to these SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) W O 97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 polynucleotide sequences. Complementary polynucleotide sequences include those sequences which hybridize to the polynucleotide sequences of the invention under stringent hybridization conditions.
The anti-RSV antibodies of the invention may be labeled by a variety of means for use in 5 diagnostic and/or ph~rm~eutical applications. There are many dirrc~cllL labels and methods of labeling known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Examples of the types of labels which can be used in the present invention include en_ymes, radioisotopes, fluorescent compounds, colloidal metals, chemiluminescent compounds, and bioluminescent compounds. Those of ordinar,v skill in the art will know of other suitable labels for binding to the monoclonal antibodies of the I o invention, or will be able to ascertain such, using routine experimentation. Furthermore, the binding of these labels to the monoclonal antibodies of the invention can be done using standard techniques common to those of ordinary skill in the art.
Another labeling technique which may result in greater sensitivity consists of coupling the antibodies to low molecular weight haptens. These haptens can then be specifically altered 15 by means of a second reaction. For example, it is common to use haptens such as biotin, which reacts with avidin, or ~lhlill~,phenol, pyridoxal, or fluorescein, which can react with specific anti-hapten antibodies.
The materials for use in the assay of the invention are ideally suited for the ~lc~dldLion of a kit. Such a kit may comprise a carrier means being colllpa,l...ent~li7ed to receive in close 20 confinement one or more container means such as vials, tubes, and the like, each of the container means comprising one of the separate elements to be used in the method. For example, one of the container means may comprise a human monoclonal antibody of the invention which is, or can be"lçtect~hly labeled. The kit may also have cu..~ ; cont~inin~ buffer(s) and/or a container comprising a lcpoll~l-means, such as a biotin-binding protein, such as avidin or 25 streptavidin, bound to a reporter molecule, such as an enzymatic or fluorescent label.
Tn Vitro Detection ~n~1 Di~n~stics The monoclonal antibodies of the invention are suited for in viko use, for example, in immnno~s~ys in which they can be utilized in liquid phase or bound to a solid phase carrier. In addition, the monoclonal antibodies in these immnn~-~e~ys can be detectably labeled in various 30 ways. Examples of types of immunoassays which can utilize the monoclonal antibodies of the invention are competitive and non-competitive immunoassays in either a direct or indirect format. Examples of such immnnoassays are the radiohl.,nulloassay (RIA) and the sandwich S~IBSTITUTE S~'ET (RULE 26) (immlm-)metric) assay. Detection of antigens using the monoclonal antibodies of the invention can be done lltili7ing immllnnassays which are run in either the forward, reverse, or simlllt~neous modes, including immlmohistochemical assays on physiological samples. Those of skill in the att will know, or can readily discern, other immlm~ y formats without undue s experimçnt~tion.
The monoclonal antibodies of the invention can be bound to many dirrclclll carriers and used to detect the presence of RSV. Examples of well-known carriers include glass, poly~Lylclle~
polypropylene, polyethylene, dextran, nylon, amylase, natural and modified cellulose, polyacrylamide, agarose and magnetite. The nature of the carrier can be either soluble or o insoluble for purposes of the invention. Those skilled in the art will know of other suitable carriers for binding monoclonal antibodies, or will be able to ascertain such, using routine experiment~tion.
For purposes of the invention, RSV may be detected by the monoclonal antibodies of the invention when present in biological fluids and tissues. Any sample co~ a detectable 15 amount of RSV can be used. A sample can be a liquid such as urine, saliva, cerebrospinal fluid, blood, serum or the like; a solid or semi-solid such as tissues, feces, or the like; or, ~lt~rn~tively, a solid tissue such as those commonly used in histological diagnosis.
Tn Vivo Detection of RSV
In using the monoclonal antibodies of the invention for the in vivo detection of antigen, 20 the detectably labeled monoclonal antibody is given in a dose which is diagnostically effective.
The term "diagnostically effective" means that the amount of detect~kly labeled human monoclonal antibody is ~tlmini~tered in sufficient ~lu~llily to enable detection of the site having the RSV antigen for which the monoclonal antibodies are specific.
The concentration of detectably labeled monoclonal antibody which is ~-lmini~tered 25 should be sufficient such that the binding to RSV is detectable compared to the background.
Further, it is desirable that the detectably labeled monoclonal antibody be rapidly cleared from the circulatory system in order to give the best target-to-background signal ratio.
As a rule, the dosage of det~ct~bly labeled human monoclonal antibody for in vivo diagnosis will vary depending on such factors as age, sex, and extent of disease of the individual.
30 The dosage of monoclonal antibody can vary from about 0.01 mg/kg to about 500 mg/kg, preferably 0.1 mg/kg to about 200 mg/kg, most preferably about 0.1 mg/kg to about 10 mg/kg.
Such dosages may vary, for example, depending on whether multiple injections are given, on the SUBSTITUTE S~EET (RU~E 26) tissue being assayed, and other factors known to those of skill in the art.
For in vivo diagnostic im~ing, the type of detection instrurnent available is a major factor in selecting an ~ v~liate radioisotope. The radioisotope chosen must have a type of decay which is ~etect~kle for the given type of instrument. Still another important factor in 5 selecting a radioisotope for in vivo diagnosis is that the half-life of the radioisotope be long enough such that it is still detectable at the time of ms.x;,,,1l.,, uptake by the target, but short enough such that deleterious radiation with respect to the host is acceptable. Ideally, a ~adioisotope used for in vivo im~gin~ will lack a particle emission but produce a large number of photons in the 140-250 keV range, which may be readily ~etected by conventional gamma o carneras.
For in ViVQ diagnosis, radioisotopes may be bound to immunoglobulin either directly or indirectly by using an intermediate functional group. Intermediate functional groups which often are used to bind radioisotopes which exist as metallic ions are the bifunctional chelating agents such as diethylenetri~minepentacetic acid (DTPA) and ethy1en~ nninetetra-acetic acid (EDTA) 15 and similar molecules. Typical examples of metallic ions which can be bound to the monoclonal antibodies of the invention are " 'In, 97Ru, 67Ga, 68Ga, 72As, 89Zr and 20'Tl.
The monoclonal antibodies of the invention can also be labeled with a paramagnetic isotope for purposes of ~n vivo (1i~nosi.c, as in magnetic resonance im~ging (MRI) or electron spin resonance (ESR). In general, any conventional method for vi.cll~li7in~ diagnostic im~gin~
20 can be 1ltili7t?tl Usually gamma and positron emitting radioisotopes are used for camera im~ging and paramagnetic isotopes for MRI. Elements which are particularly useful in such techniques include '57Gd, 55Mn, '62Dy 52Cr and 56Fe The human monoclonal antibody of the invention can be used in vitro and in vivo to monitor the course of RSV disease therapy. Thus, for example, by me~llrin~ the increase or 25 decrease in the number of cells infected with RSV or changes in the concentration of RSV
present in the body or in various body fluids, it would be possible to (letermine whether a particular therapeutic regimen aimed at ameliorating the RSV disease is effective.
Prophylaxis and Therapy of RSV Dis~
The monoclonal antibodies can also be used immnn~ the~ u~ically for RSV disease in 30 both hllm~n~ and other animals. The term, "imm~m~therapeutically" or "immnn~therapy" as used herein in conjunction with the monoclonal antibodies of the invention denotes both prophylactic as well as therapeutic ~rlmini~tration and both passive immllni7~tion with SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) W O 97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 -25-substantially purified polypeptide products, as well as gene therapy by transfer of polynucleotide sequences encoding the product or part thereof. Thus, the monoclonal antibodies can be ~lmini.stered to high-risk subjects in order to lessen the likelihood and/or severity of RSV
disease or ~minist~red to subjects already evidencing active RSV infection. In the present s invention, Fab fr~ment~ also neutralize RSV both in vitro and in vivo and therefore may be used therapeutically to treat RSV infection in vivo. As explained above, Fab fra~m~nt~ are preferred for topical ~rlministration to the lining of the lung but intact antibodies molecules are otherwise f~ d.
As used herein, a "thel~euLically effective amount" of the monoclonal antibodies of the o invention is a dosage large enough to produce the desired effect in which the symptoms of the RSV disease are ameliorated or the likelihood of infection is decreased. A therapeutically effective amount is not, however, a dosage so large as to cause adverse side effects, such as hyperviscosity syndromes, pulmonary edema, congestive heart failure, and the like. Generally, a therapeutically effective amount may vary with the subject's age, condition, and sex, as well as 15 the extent of the disease in the subject and can be cletermined by one of skill in the art. The dosage may be adjusted by the individual physician or v~;k;lilldl;an in the event of any complication. A th~ uLically effective amount may vary from about 0.01 mg/kg to about 500 mglkg, preferably from about 0.1 mg/lcg to about 200 mg/lcg, most preferably from about 0.2 mg/kg to about 20 mg~g, in one or more dose ~tlmini~trations daily, for one or several days.
20 Preferred is ~tlministration of the antibody for 2 to 5 or more consecutive days in order to avoid "rebound" of virus replication from occnrring The monoclonal antibodies of the invention can be ~-lmini~t~red by injection or by gradual infusion over time. The ~-lministration of the monoclonal antibodies of the invention may, for example, be intravenous, intraperitoneal, ;~ c~;ular~ intracavity, subcutaneous, or 2s tr~n~lerrn~l When used therapeutically, a ~ler~lled route of ~rlmini~tration of the monoclonal antibodies of the invention is by pulmonary aerosol. Techniques for ~ ing aerosol delivery systems co--l~i~-;--g antibodies are well lcnown to those of skill in the art. Generally, such systems should utilize components which will not significantly impair the biological properties of the antibodies, such as the paratope binding capacity (see, for example, Sciarra and Cutie, 30 "Aerosols," in Remin,~ton's Ph~rm~(~eutical Sciences~ 18th edition, 1990, pp 1694-1712, incorporated by reference). Those of skill in the art can readily determine the various parameters and conditions for producing antibody aerosols without resort to undue experimentation.

SUBST~TUTE S!~EET (RULE 26) W O97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 Pr~dldLions for pare~ mini~tration include sterile aqueous or non-aqueous solutions. suspensions, and emulsions. Examples of non-aqueous solvents are propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, vegetable oils such as olive oil, and injectable organic esters such as ethyl oleate. Aqueous carriers include water, alcoholic/aqueous solutions, emulsions or suspensions, 5 including saline and buffered media. P~ dl vehicles include sodium chloride solution, Ringer's dextrose, dextrose and sodium chloride, lactated Ringer's or fixed oils. Intravenous vehicles include fluid and nutrient repleni~ht?rs, electrolyte replenishers (such as those based on Ringer's dextrose), and the like. Preservatives and other additives may also be present such as, for example, antimicrobials, anti-oxidants, chelating agents, and inert gases and the like.

ISOLATION OF RSVF2-5 MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY Fab FRAGMENT
PCR ~ml?lification of Fab ~nd library construction Peripheral blood lymphocytes were purified from 50 ml of whole he~-~;ni~ed blood of an HIV-l-infected donor, by single step 15 density gradient using Histopaque-1077 (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, MO) and washed once in Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Total RNA (30 mg) was purified from peripheral blood lymphocytes using a rapid single step guanidinium isothiocyanate/phenol chloroform-based RNA isolation technique (Stratagene, La Jolla, CA), and cDNA was generated by reverse transcriptase (RT) using Superscript RNase H- (Gibco-BRL, Grand Island, NY). PCR
20 amplification of the IgG, Fd heavy chain fra~ment~ and light chains was performed for 35 cycles of 94~C x 1 min, 54~C x 1 min, 72~C x 3 min. This was followed by a single incubation at 72~C for 10 min. 5' primers for the individual H and light chain V region gene families, and 3' col~L~ll region primers for IgG" k or 1 as previously described (Kang et al., in "Methods, A
Companion to Methods in Enzymology: Vol. 2", R.A. Lerner and D.R. Burton, ed. Ac~lemic 25 Press, NY, pp 1 1 1-1 18,1991), were obtained from Operon (~l~mPcl~, CA). Primers contained restriction enzyme sites to allow the sequential ligation of Fd and light chain libraries into the phage display vector. Fd fragment DNA, of approximately 699 base pairs, was amplified with sites for the restriction enzymes, Xho I at the 5' end of the VH domain, and Spe I at the 3' end of the CHI domain, for ligation with DNA encoding the cap protein, or gene III product. Light chain 30 DNA, of approximately 639 base pairs, was amplified with sites for the restriction enzymes, Sac I at the 5' end of the VL domain, and Xba I at the 3' end of the CL domain. The vector, pAbClone, was constructed from pcI)NAII (Invitrogen, San Diego, CA) and pET20b (Novagen, SUBSTITUTE SI~EET (RULE 26) W O 97/10846 PCTrUS96/14937 Madison, WI) (pelB leaders), to contain DNA encoding the cap protein of the M13 filzln~entous phage, derived from M13mpl8 (Stratagene, La Jolla, CA), with a restriction site for Spe I at the 5' end for ligation to the 3' end of DNA encoding the Fd fr~gment, essentially as described by Barbas et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (US~) 88:7978-7982, 1991). Infection of phagemid-bearing s E~. coli with VCSM13 helper phage (Stratagene) allowed production of a packaged phage library, with phage simultaneously expressing Fab molecules on the phage head and carrying DNA
encoding the Fab molecules within the phage body.
Clonir~ ~ncl ~ ion of Fab molecules. From a packaged phagemid library of l O' clones, Fab binding to RSV Long strairl (ATCC VR-26) proteins (abV Tmmllne Response, Derry, l o NH) were enriched by 4 rounds of p~nnin~ RSV proteins were bound to microtiter 96 well plates (Costar, Cambridge, MA) at 1 mg/well in 25 ml O.lM NaHCO37 overnight at 4~C, as previously described (Burton D.R., et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 88:10134-10137, 1991).
Amplification of the eluted phage between each round was performed by infection of E. coli XLl -Blue cells (Stratagene, La Jolla, CA) and p~c~in~ with VCSM 13 helper phages (Stratagene, La Jolla, CA). Panning resulted in a 100-fold increase in the relative yield of eluted phage when compared to the second p~nning DNA encoding the phage cap protein was then excised by digestion with NheI and SpeI, and the compatible ends of the vector relegated to allow production of soluble Fab molecules. Clones producing soluble Fab binding to RSV
proteins were then identified by ELISA, using ~lk~line phosphatase conjugated goat anti-human 20 Ig F(ab')2 (Pierce, Rockford, IL).
Production and purification of Fab. For screening of soluble Fab producing clones, 10 ml overnight cultures in super broth (24) /50 ,ug Carbenicillin/ml (SB/Carb) were in~ cecl with 1 mM isopropyl-(beta)-D-thiogala~;lo~y~ oside (IPTG). The next morning cultures were centrifuged (4000g for 10 min) and cell pellets were freeze/thawed three times in PBS/200 mM
25 PMSF/0.01% NaN3 (PBS/PMSF/Azide). Lysates were centrifuged (lOO,OOOg for 5 min) and 50 !11 volumes of supe~ were used in place of serum dilutions, as above, for ELISA testing.
Purified Fab were produced from cell pellets of 1 liter cultures in SB/Carb, as described above.
Pellets were freeze/thawed, as above, in 25 ml PBS/PMSF/Azide and centrifuged at 14,000g for 40 min, filtered through a 0.22 mm filter and applied to a 10 ml Sepharose-4B (Pharmacia 30 Biotech Inc., Piscataway, NJ)/goat anti-human F(ab')2 (Pierce, Rockford, IL) affinity column equilibrated with PBS. After washing with 700 ml of PBS, the Fab were eluted in 50 ml of 0.2M
glycine (pH 2.5), neutralized by addition of 1/10 of a volume of lM Tris (pH 9.0) and SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) concentrated to 1 ml in a C~ 30 concentrator (Amicon, Beverly, MA). Purified, concentrated Fab were analyzed on Coomassie Blue-stained SDS-PAGE gels, run under reducing conditions, at between l-10 ~lg per lane, and were greater than 95% pure in all cases.
I~ol~tion ~n~l characterization of hum~n Fab b;n~ to RSV protein.~ After 4 rounds of s panning the library of 107 clones with RSV proteins (Table 1), eight clones were isolated, which were producing soluble human Fab binding to RSV proteins. RSV protein-binding Fab were purified from the periplasmic extracts of lysed cell pellets from 1 liter cultures of XL 1 -Blue, by affinity chromatography. The approximate binding co~ were rietennined for these clones by ELISA using the purified Fab. Only one of these Fab clones, clesi~n~tt?-1 RSVF2-5, was 0 specific for RSV proteins and did not react with BSA or other viral proteins. The protein ex~ ion level for the RSVF2-5 Fab varied from 500-700 mg purified protein/l of culture.
DNA sequences were deterrnined for the Fd and light chain to allow cloning into vectors for genetic therapy (presented as SEQ ID NO: 21 and SEQ ID NO: 22) and the tr~n.~l~ted amino acid sequences are presented in Table 5 and as SEQ ID NO: 1 and SEQ ID NO: 9. Analysis of DNA
15 insert size, molecular weights of purified expressed proteins on SDS-PAGE gels and tr~n~l~ted DNA sequences revealed RSVF2-5 to consist of an Fd fragment and light chain (Fab fragment).
Alignment of DNA sequences with the Genbank ~1~t~h~e identified the Fd fragment as belonging to the VH3 gene family and the light chain to be a lambda chain of the VL6 gene family.
(Table 5). A predominance of lambda light chains in the original library (l:k DNA ratio was ~
20 9:1 ) was the result of constraints imposed by the original yield of total RNA and a limited yield of k chain DNA from PCR amplification.
Fab bin(1in.~ const~nt determin~tion~. RSV proteins were bound to ELISA plates at 0.1 mg/ml and blocked with 3% BSA/PBS, as above. Serial two-fold dilutions of purified human Fab in 1% BSA/PBS were added to wells (50 ~ll/well), incubated and washed, as for ELISA
2s titrations above. Goat anti-human F(ab')2 alkaline phosphatase conjugate (Pierce, Rockford, IL) and p-nitrophenyl phosphate solution were then added sequentially with washing between, as described above. The binding constants were ~let~nnin~d as the Fab concentration (g/l) at 50%
binding divided by the approximate molecular weight of the Fab (5 x 104). Binding constant determin~tions were p~ lro.l,led at least twice, on two separate batches of purified Fab.
The approximate binding constant for the human anti-RSV protein Fab RSVF2-5 was ~let~rmined to be 8.7 x 1 0-9 M from ELISA titration of purified Fab.
DNA se~uenci~. Double stranded plasmid DNA was purified by Qiagen plasmid SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) W O97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 maxiprep kit (Qiagen, Chatsworth, CA). Sequencing was then performed on an automated 373A
DNA sequencer (Applied Biosystems, Inc. (ABI), Foster City, CA), using a Taq fluorescent dideoxy terminator cycle sequencing kit (ABI). Both 5' vector fl~nking sequences specific to Fd (SEQ ID NO: 17, T3, 5'-ATT AAC CCT CAC TAA AG-3') or light chain (SEQ ID NO: 18,s KEF, 5'-GAA TTC TAA ACT AGC TAG TCG-3') leaders and 3' primers (SEQ ID NO: 19, SeqGz S'-GAA GTA GTC CTT GAC CAG-3') for the CHI or (SEQ ID NO: 20, SeqLb 5'-GAAGTC ACT TAT GAG ACA CAC-3') for the CL domains, respectively, were employed. Derived sequences for heavy chain Fd fr~gmentc and light chains were aligned using MacVector and the Genbank ~l~t~h~e (Tnt~rn~tional Biotechnologies Inc., New Haven, CT).
o RSV Fab F2-5 specifically binds to RSV F glycoprotein The specificity of RSVF2-5 for the RSV F glycoprotein was demonstrated by ELISA binding using purified RSV F or G
glycoproteins, prepared as previously described (Walsh, et al. J. Gen Virol. 65:761-767, 1984 and Walsh, et al. J. Gen. Virol. 66:409-415, 1985). A 1 ~lg/ml purified ~ paldlion of RSVF2-5 exhibited a titer of > 1: 16,384, while a similarly ~l c;pal ed suspension of a hepatitis B Fab (also ~Iglml) had a 1 :2 titer in the same test. This ~ ~ion of Fab RSVF2-5 did not bind purified G
glycoprotein, as evidenced by an ELISA titer of <1 :2, while an RSV-positive adult control serurn exhibited a titer of 1 :4,096 in the sarne test.
Virus neutr~li7~tion assay. Neutralization of RSV virus isolates, reprçsenting 10 isolates each from antigenic subgroups A and B, isolated over a period of 31 years from several national and intern~tinnal centers, was tested by a plaque reduction neutralization assay (Coates, et al., L
Epid., 83 :299, 1966), using Vero cell monolayer cultures. The titer of neutralizing antibody was expressed as the highest dilution of affinity purified Fab which reduced the plaque number by 60%. Results of neutralization testing of the affinity purified RSVF2-5 Fab, against these RSV
isolates, are shown in Table 2. Efficient neutralization of these RSV isolates was observed between 0.2 to 3.0 ~lg/ml for all of the various isolates from subgroups A and B. Hence, RSVF2-5 has broad reactivity and is highly efficient in neutralizing activity, against the two antigenic subgroups of RSV. These data also indicate that the temporal stability of the neukalization ~ epitope, identified by the human Fab RSVF2-5 is very high, being stable over a 31 year period.
Titration of the same purified Fab ple~dldlion used for the subgroup testing, with the strain RSV
A2, in the same vitro test, indicated a 60% plaque reduction neutralizing titer of 1 :803,471 and hence a specific activity of 0.005 ~lg/ml. Crude coli lysates were not tested in this assay, due to the non-specific results frequently obtained with this type of crude Fab ~le~dLion.

SUBST;TUTE SHEET (RULE 26) W O 97/10846 PCTAUS96/1~937 THE THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF HUMAN MONOCLONAL Fab RSVF2-5 IN
TREATING RSV INFECTED MICE
Cl~?~r~nce of RSV from the l~ of infected mice bv purified RSVF2-5 Fab. Groups of s six mice were infected intranasally (i.n.) with 10' pfu of RSV strain A2, in 100 ,ul of sterile PBS, under light metho~ynuldne anesthesia, on day 0. Four days post infection, representin~ the height of the infection, dirr~ l groups were treated with the indicated dose (Table 3) of affinity purified Fab in 100 1ll of sterile PBS, instilled intranasally under the same conditions of anesthesia as for inoculation with virus. The ELISA titer of this purified Fab ~ ,a,dLion, at a lo concentration of 3.6 mgtml, was 1/60,000, the neutralization titer was lt803,471 (Example 1) and the purity was greater than 99%. Control mice were treated with PBS or with a human monoclonal Fab (HBVc41) isolated from the same combinatorial Fab library, which binds to hepatitis B virus (HBV) core antigen (Table 3). Lung tissue homogenates and nasal turbinates were pl~ ~ed for virus qU~ntit~tion on day 5 (18 hours post Fab tre~tnnçnt) (Murphy et al., 15 Vacc;ne 8:497-502, 1990 and Prince et al., Am J. Path. 93:771-792, 1978) and stored frozen until they were titered for RSV on Vero cell monolayers by plaque reduction assay (Coates, et al., J.~pid. 83 :299, 1966). Plaques were detected by immtlnoperoxidase labeling as described by Murphy et al. (1990).
The hu~nan anti-RSV Fab RSVF2-5 was highly effective in clearing an established RSV
20 infection from the lungs of mice (Table 3). Detectable virus was evident in the lungs of only 1 out of 6 mice treated with 4.0 mg/kg of body weight with a mean reduction of more than 3 log,0 pfu compared to that produced by trç~tment with the HBV core antigen Fab (HBVc41) or PBS.

The following example demonstrates that the human Fab RSVF2-5, which neutralizesRSV in vitro and cures mice of lung infection with RSV, identifies an epitope (linear or conformational) which includes the F glycoprotein amino acid (aa) residue number 429 or which is conformationally affected by this residue.
Ne--tr~ tion of escape mutants of the RSV strain A?. Monoclonal antibody RSV
escape mutants (MARM) were tested for in vitro neutralization by human monoclonal Fab RSVF2-5, using the plaque reduction assay described in Example 1 (Coates, et al., J. Epid.

SUBSTITUTE SH~ET (RULE 26) -83 :299, 1966), on Vero cell monolayers. The titer of neutralizing antibody was expressed as the highest dilution of affinity purified Fab which reduced the plaque number by 60%. Results of neutralization testing of the purified RSVF2-5 Fab, against these RSV are expressed in Table 4.
Affinity purified anti-RSV Fab RSVF2-5 does not neutralize the RSV MARM v324 of Dr. G.
s Taylor, generated using the mouse monoclonal antibody (MAb) RSV19 (Taylor et al., Tmmnnology 52: 137-142, 1984). In contrast, RSVF2-5 Fab neutralized all other escape nlnt~nt~
and the wild type RSV strain A2 with neutralizing titers in the same range as that for the subgroup A and B RSV isolates tested in Example I (Table 2). The MARM v324 escape mutant of RSV possesses a single aa substitution (arginine to serine) at residue 429 on the F 1 subunit of 10 the RSV F glycoprotein. However the aa sequences of the RSVF2-5 human Fab VH_ and V, -regions (Table 5) are unique and unrelated to those of the RSVl9 MAb or the hnm~ni7P~l form of this mouse antibody (see, e.g., PCT Tnt~rn~tional Publication Number W092/04381).
Hence the present invention recognizes a neutralization epitope on the RSV F
glyc~pl~)teil1 F1 subunit which either includes arginine residue 429 or which is remote from this 15 residue but is affected conformationally by a substitution at that position. The associated paratope of the RSVF2-5 human Fab defined by the CDR-regions, in particular CDR3 of the of the VH_ and VL-regions is suitable for the preparation of protective and therapeutic agents which neutralize RSV, in particular, for the ~ ion of monoclonal antibodies against the associated epitope on the RSV F glycoplotein. Knowledge of this paratope enables one of skill in the aTt to 20 produce synthetic peptides or anti-idiotypic antibodies which may also be suitable as vaccines against RSV. The epitope including, or conformationally affected by, substitution at residue 429 on the RSV F glycoprotein F 1 subunit, identified by the RSVF2-5 human Fab, is a suitable target for the screening of other neutralization epiLopes and the production of monoclonal antibodies useful for the therapy and prophylaxis of RSV infections in hum~n~
RSVF2-5 was deposited at the American Type Culture Collection, Rockville, Maryland under ATCC De~i~ns~tion 69909.
The foregoing written specification is to be considered to be sufficient to enable one skilled in the art to practice the invention. The present invention is not to be limited in scope by the cell line deposited, since the deposited embodiment is inten~ecl as a single illustration of one 30 aspect of the invention and any cell lines that are functionally equivalent are within the scope of the invention. Similarly, the nucleotide sequences and particular antibodies disclosed herein are not to be construed as limiting of the invention as they are inten~lecl merely as illustrative of SUBSTITUTE S~IEET (RULE 26) -particular embodiments of the invention as enabled herein. Therefore, any sequences or antibodies that are functionally equivalent of those described herein are within the spirit and scope of the claims appended hereto. Indeed, various modifications of the invention in addition to those shown and described herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the 5 foregoing description and fall within the scope of the appended claims.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) PCT~US96/14937 TARLE I

ENRICHMENT OF PHAGE FROM PANNING OF
~ CARU LIBRARY WITH RSV PROTEINS

Pan round Applied phage* Eluted phage* Relative yield 1 2.4 X 10l2 3.3 X 107 1.2 X 10-5 2 l.lx10l3 9.1 x106 8.0 X 10-7 3 1.4 X10l2 7.1 X 107 4.9X 10-5 4 3.0 X 101l 2.6 x107 8.5 X 10-5 * Total number of cfu in 200 ul of PBS/1% BSA

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) W O97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 TABT,F, 2 NEUTRALIZATION OF RSV STRAINS FROM ANTIGENIC SUBGROUPS A AND B, BY HUMAN MONOCLONAL Fab RSVF-2-5 S ~

RSV Virus Specific neutralization Isolates# activity (,ug/ml) *

Sub~roup A

SW/669rS9 3.0 Wash/1 1657/'60 1.6 Wash/Bern~65 0.6 SL/863~84 0.2 SL/10849/'84 0.9 SL/10865/'84 0.4 0K/9970/'85 1.4 Bir/6 190/'89 2.4 New/RSS-2/'76 1.9 Bir/1734/'89 1. 1 Sub~roup B
2s WV/474R/'90 0.9 WV/1293/'75 1.0 WV/4843/'80 0.5 Wash/18537/'62 0.5 WV/14617~85 2.6 WV/17154/'85 2.1 WV/20323/'87 0.8 SUBSTITUTE SHEEr (RULE 26) WV/285R/'90 0.6 WV/401RJ'90 0.7 WV/2B/'87 0.3 S
* Quantity of purified Fab required, for preincubation with virus, to effect a reduction of 60%
in RSV incl~lcerl plaques, produced in Vero cell monolayers # Abbreviations: Bir (Birrningh~m), New (Newcastle), OK (Oklahoma), SL (St. Louis), SW
(Sweden), Wash (Washington), Wash/Bern (W~hington/Bern) and WV (West Virginia). (West 10 Virginia strains provided by M.A. Mufson, M.D.).

SUBSTITUTE Sl I~ET (RULE 26) HUMAN ANTI-RSV Fab IN RSV INFECTED MICE

RSV titer in tissue homogenate*
Tre~tmf~nt Dose (mean log,Opfil/g tissue) (mgFab/kg body weight) Nasal turbinates Lungs Fab RSVF2-5 4.0 3.2 1.9#

s 1.0 3.8 3.3 0.25 4.4 4.3 0.0625 4.2 4.0 0.0156 5.0 4 9 0.0039 4.9 5.2 HBVc41 Fab 4.0 4.7 5.3 1.0 4.7 5.3 PBS n.a 4.5 5.2 *Titer of virus recovered from tissue homogenates 4 days post infection with RSV and 18 hours SUBSTITUTE SI~EET (RULE 26) W O 97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 post treatment with affinity purified Fab or PBS.
#Virus recovered f~om 1 of 6 ~nim~ at 1.7 log~O pfu/g detectable. Mean calculated using 1.7 for the S ~nim~ without detectable virus.

SUBSTITUTE SltEET ~RULE 26) ANTIBODY ESCAPE MUTANTS OF RSV

RSV Dose for 60% plaque Antigenic Amino acid MARM* reduction (~g/ml) site substi~

v1237 <0.3 A 276 v1214 0.1 A 276 1S v1129 0.5 A 275 vN151 0.4 A 272 v1200 0.3 A 272 v1153 0.9 A 262 v1269 <0.3 B 389 2s v1308F 1.0 C 241/421 v1302A/1 1.4 C 241/421 v1302A/6 <0.3 C 241/421 v324 ~ >18 other 429 SUBSTITUTE S~IEF.T (RULE 26) A2 w.t.** 0.1 na na * Monoclonal antibody RSV escape " 1~ ; (MARM) g~llCld~d from the RSV strain A2 by Dr.
Geraldine Taylor.
# Amino acid (aa) substitutions on the RSV F glycoprotein responsible for the resistance to neutrali_ation.
~ v324 is a MARM resistant to mouse M~b RSVl9 of Geraldine Taylor, the hllm~ni7ecl form of which is the subject of intern~tional patent application number W092/04381. The MARM
possesses a single aa change at position 429 (Fl subunit).
0 ** Wild type RSV strain A2.

SUBSTITUTE SltEET (RULE 26) PCT~US96/14937 V-REGION AMINO SEQUENCES OF RSVF2-5 Fd AND LIGHT CHAIN

RegionHeavy Chain VH3 SequenceLight Chain VL6 Sequence FRl LEESGGDLVQ LTQPHSVSES
PGRSLRLSCS LGKTVTISC
TSGFSFG
CDRl DYPVN TRAGGRIASN
WQ

EWLG TTVIY

LQYAASVEG
lo FR3 RFTISRDDSK GVPDRFSGSI
SIAYLHMNSL DTSSNSASLT
KSEDTAVYYC ISGLKTEDEA
GV DYYC

SASTKGPSS G

SUBSTITUTE S5~EET (PIULE 26) WO97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 ~ U~N~ LISTING

(1) GENERAL INFORM~TION:

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SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26~

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(F) POSTAL C'ODE: 20816 (ii) TITLE OF lNv~NlloN: N~ALIZING MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES TO
RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS

SUBSTITUTE Sh'EET (RULE 26) CA 02230ll6 l998-03-l8 WO97/10846 PCTrUS96/14937 (iii) N~ BER OF ~U~:N~S: 22 (iv) CORRESPVN~ ADDRESS:
(A) ADDRESSEE: WOLF, ~K~N~ D & SACKS, P.C.

5(B) ~ 600 ~tl ~nt; C Avenue (C) CITY: BOSTON
(D) STATE: MASSA~u~ll~
(E) ~UN'l'~Y: UNl'l'~ STATES OF AMERICA
(F) ZIP: 02210 (v) COMPUTER REPDPBLE FORM:
(A) MEDIUM TYPE: Floppy disk (B) CnMP~T~R: IBM PC ~nm~t;hle (C) OPER~TING SYSTEM: PC-DOS/MS-DOS
15 (D) SOFTW~RE: PatentIn Re1ease #1.0, Version #1.25 (vi) ~UK~N'l' APPLICATION DATA:
(A) APPLICATION NIMBER:
(B) FILING DATE:
20 (C) CLASSIFICATION:

(vii) PRIOR APPLICATION DATA:
(A) APPLICATION NI~BER: US 60/003,931 (B) FILING DATE: 18-SEP-1995 (viii) A'll~N~Y/AGENT INFORMATION:
(A) NAME: GATES, EDW~RD R.
(B) REGISTRATION NUMBER: 31,616 (C) K~'~K~N~/DOCKET N~.MBER: A0558/7008WO

(ix) TELECOMM~NICATION INFORMATION:

(A) TELEPHONE: 617-720-3500 SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) CA 02230ll6 l998-03-l8 (B) TELEFAX: 617-720-2441 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:1:

(i) ~U~ CH~RA~l~KIsTIcs:
(A) LENGTH: 123 amino acids (B) TYPE: amino acid (D) TOPOLOGY: linear (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide (iii) H~ CAL: NO

(vi) ORIGINAL SOUROE :
(A) ORG~NISM: Homo sapiens (vii) IMMEDIATE SOUROE :
(B) CLONE: RSVF2-5 (ix) FEATURE:
(A) NAME/KEY: DQMAIN
(B) LOCATIQN: 1..123 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= HEAVY_CHAIN VH3 (xi) SEQUEN OE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:1:

Leu Glu Glu Ser Gly Gly Asp Leu Val Gln Pro Gly Arg Ser Leu Arg Leu Ser Cys Ser Thr Ser Gly Phe Ser Phe Gly Asp Tyr Pro Val Asn SUBSTITUT~ SHrET (RULE 26) CA 02230ll6 l998-03-l8 WO97/10846 PCTAUS96/l4937 Trp Phe Arg Gln Ala Pro Gly Lys Gly heu Glu Trp Leu Gly Ile Val Arg Ser Arg Leu Tyr Gly Gly Thr Leu Gln Tyr Ala Ala Ser Val Glu Gly Arg Phe Thr Ile Ser Arg Asp Asp Ser Lys Ser Ile Ala Tyr Leu His Met Asn Ser Leu Lys Ser Glu Asp Thr Ala Val Tyr Tyr Cys Gly Val Pro Val Ala Asn Ile Asp Tyr Trp Gly Gln Gly Thr Leu Val Thr Val Ser Ser Ala Ser Thr Lys Gly Pro Ser Ser (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:2:

(i) ~u~N~ CH~RA~l~KISTICS:
(A) LENGTH: 27 amino acids (B) TYPE: amino acid (D) TOPOLOGY: linear (ii) MOLECNLE TYPE: peptide (iii) HYP~ CAL: NO

(v) FR~GMEW~ TYPE: N-t~rm; n~l (vi) ORIGINAL SO~ROE:

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) WO97/10846 PCT~S96/14937 (A) ORG~NISM: Homo sapiens (ix) FEATURE:
(A) NAME/KEY: Region (B) LOCATION: l.. 27 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= VH3_FRl (xi) SE~u~N~ DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:2:

Leu Glu Glu Ser Gly Gly Asp Leu Val Gln Pro Gly Arg Ser Leu Arg l 5 l0 15 Leu Ser Cys Ser Thr Ser Gly Phe Ser Phe Gly (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:3:

(i) SEQUEN OE CHARACTERISTICS:
(A) LENGTH: 5 amino acids (B) TYPE: amino acid (D) TOPOLOGY: linear (ii) MOLEC~LE TYPE: peptide (iii) HYP~l~ lCAL: NO

(v) FRA~MENT TYPE: internal (vi) ORIGIN~L SOUROE:
(A) ORG~NISM: Homo sapiens SUBSTITUTE Sh'EET (RULE 26) WO97/10846 PCT~S96/14937 (ix) FE~TURE:
~A) NAME/KEY: Re~ian (B) LOCATION: 1..5 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= VH3_CDRl (xi) ~U~N~h DESCRIPTIQN: SEO ID NO:3:

Asp Tyr Pro Val Asn l 5 (2) INFORM~TION FOR SEO ID NO:4:

(i) SEQUEN OE CH~RA~-l~KISTICS:
(A) LENGTH: 14 amino acids (B) TYPE: amino acid (D) TOPO~OGY: linear ( ii ) ~OT ,F.~lT .~. TYPE: peptide (iii) ~lY~l'~;'l'lC~I~: NO

(v) FRAaMENT TYPE: internal (vi ) ORIGINAL SOUROE:
(A) ORG~NISM: Homo sapiens (ix) FEATURE:
(A) N~ME/KEY: Region (B) LOC~TION: 1.. 14 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= VB _FR2 SUBSTITUTE SHEEr (RULE 26) _ WO97/10846 PCT~S96/14937 (xi) ~u~ DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:4:

Trp Phe Arg Gln Ala Pro Gly Lys Gly Leu Glu Trp Leu Gly l 5 l0 s (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:5:

(i) SEQUEN OE CHARA~-l~ISTICS:
(A) LENGTH: l9 amino acids (B) TYPE: amino acid (D) TOPOLOGY: linear (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide (v) FR~aMENT TYPE: i nt~rn~l (vi) ORIGIN~L SOUROE:
(A) ORG~NISM: Homo s~r~ ~n~

( ix) F~T~RE:
(A) NAME/KEY: Region (B) LOCATION: l..l9 (D) OTHER INFORMATIOW: /label= VHB_CDR2 (xi) SEQUEN OE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:5:

Ile Val Ar~ Ser Arg LRU Tyr Gly Gly Thr Leu Gln Tyr Ala Ala Ser l 5 l0 15 SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) WO97/10846 PCT~S96/14937 Val Glu Gly (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:6:
S
(i) SEQUENCE CHaRPCqERISTICS:
(A) LENGTH: 32 amino acids (B) TYPE: amino acid (D) TOPOLOGY: linear (ii) ~T.~T.F. TYPE: peptide (iii) HYP~~ CAL: NO

(v) FRAGMENr TYPE: ; nt~rn~l (vi) ORIGINAL SOUROE :
(A) ORGANISM: Homo s~ ~n~

(ix) FEATURE:
(A) NAME/KEY: Region (B) LOCATION: 1..32 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= VHB_FR3 (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:6:

Arg Phe Thr Ile Ser Arg Asp Asp Ser Lys Ser Ile Ala Tyr Leu His l 5 l0 15 Met Asn Ser Leu Lys Ser Glu Asp Thr Ala Val Tyr Tyr Cys Gly Val SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) WO97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:7:

(i) SEQUENOE CH~RACTERISTICS:
S (A) LENGTH: 7 amino acids (B) TYPE: amino acid (D) TOPOLOGY: linear (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide (iii) ~lYl~ ;'l'lC~L: NO

(v) FRAGMENT TYPE: ; nt~rn~l IS (vi) ORIGIN~L SOUROE:
(A) ORG~NISM: Homo sapiens (ix) FEATURE:
(A) N~ME/KEY: R~; ~n 20 (B) LOCATION: l.. 7 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= VH3_CDR3 (xi) SEQUEN OE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID N~:7:
Pro Val Ala Asn Ile Asp Tyr l 5 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:8:
(i) SEQUENOE CH~RACTERISTICS:
(A) LENGTH: l9 amino acids SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) W O 97/10846 PCTrUS96/14937 (B) TYPE: amino acid (D) TOPOLOGY: linear (ii) M~T.T~TT.~. TYPE: peptide (iii) HYP~~ CAL: NO

(v) ~T TYPE: C-t~rmi n~l (vi) ORIGINAL SOUR OE:
(A) ORGANISM: Homo sapiens (ix) FE~TURE:
(A) N~ME/KEY: Region 15 (B) LOCATION: 1.. l9 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= VH3_FR4 (xi) ~U~N~ DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:8:
Trp Gly Gln Gly Thr Leu Val Thr Val Ser Ser Ala Ser Thr Lys Gly l 5 l0 15 Pro Ser Ser (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:9:

(i) SEQUEN OE CHARaCTERISTICS:
(A) LENGTH: l09 amino acids (B) TYPE: amino acid (D) TOPOLOGY: 1 ln~r SUBSTITUTE S~EET (RULE 26) CA 02230ll6 l998-03-l8 WO97/10846 -52- PCT~S96/14937 (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide (iii) HYP~l~llCAL: NO

(vi) ORIGIN~L SOUROE :
(A) ORG~NISM: Homo sapiens (vii) IMMEDIATE SOUROE :
(B) CLONE: RSVF2-5 (ix) FEATURE:
(A) NAME/KEY: Domain (B) LOC~TION: 1..109 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= LIGHT_CHAIN VL6 (xi) ~UkN~ DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:9:

Leu Thr Gln Pro His Ser Val Ser Glu Ser Leu Gly Lys Thr Val Thr Ile Ser Cys Thr Ary Ala Gly Gly Arg Ile Ala Ser Asn Tyr Val Gln Trp Tyr Gln Gln Arg Pro Gly Ser Ser Pro Thr Thr Val Ile Tyr Glu Asp Asn Gln Arg Pro Phe Gly Val Pro Asp Arg Phe Ser Gly Ser Ile Asp Thr Ser Ser Asn Ser Ala Ser Leu Thr Ile Ser Gly Leu Lys Thr SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) W097/~0846 PCT~S96/14937 Glu Asp Glu Ala Asp Tyr Tyr Cys Gln Ser Tyr Asp Ser Glu Asn Pro Trp Val Phe Gly Gly Gly Thr Lys Leu Thr Val Leu Gly lO0 105 (2) INFORMATIoN FOR SEQ ID NO:l0:

(i) ~U~ CH~RA~l~KISTICS:
(A) LENGTH: l9 amino acids (B) TYPE: amino acid (D) TOPOLOGY: linear (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide (iii) HYP~~ CAL: NO

(v) FRAGMENr TYPE: N-terminal (vi) ORIGINAL SOUROE :
(A) ORGANISM: Homo sapiens (ix) FEATURE:
(A) NAME/KEY: Region (B) LOCATION: 1.. l9 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= VL6_FRl (xi) SEQUEN OE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:l0:

Leu Thr Gln Pro His Ser Val Ser Glu Ser Leu Gly Lys Thr Val Thr l 5 l0 15 SUBSTITUTE Sh'EET (RULE 26) WO97/10846 PCT~S96/14937 Ile Ser Cys (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:ll:

(i) ~u~ CHARA~'l~ISTICS:
(A) LENGTH: 13 amino acids (B) TYPE: amino acid (D) TOPOLOGY: linear (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide (iii) H~ llCAL: NO

(v) FR~aMENT TYPE: ; nt~n~l (vi) ORIGINAL SOUR OE :
(A) ORG~NISM: Homo sapiens (ix) FEATURE:
(A) NAME/KEY: Region (B) LOCATION: l..13 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= VL6_CDRl (xi) SEQUEN OE DESCRIPTICN: SEQ ID NO:ll:

Thr Arg Ala Gly Gly Arg Ile Ala Ser Asn Tyr Val Gln l 5 l0 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:12:

SlJBSTITUTE Sh'EET (RULE 26) CA 02230ll6 l998-03-l8 WO97/10846 PCTrUS96/14937 _ 55 (i) SEQUENOE CH~RA~ ISTICS:
(A) LENGTH: 15 amino acids (B) TYPE: amino acid (D) TOPOLOGY: linear S
(ii) ~nT.~lT,~ TYPE: peptide (iii) HYP~ lCAL: NO

(v) FRAGMENT TYPE: internal (vi) ORIGIN~L SOUR OE:
(A) ORGANISM: Homo sapiens (ix) FEATURE:
(A) NAME/KEY: Region (B) LOCATION: 1..15 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= VL6_FR2 (xi) ~U~N~ DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:12:

Trp Tyr Gln Gln Arg Pro Gly Ser Ser Pro Thr Thr Val Ile Tyr (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:13:

(i) SEQUENCE C~ARACTERISTICS:
(A) LENGTH: 7 amino acids (B) TYPE: amino acid (D) TOPOLOGY: linear SUBSTITlJTE SltEET (RllLE 26) WO97/10846 -56- PCT~S96/14937 (ii) MOLEC~LE TYPE: peptide (v) FR~GME~ TYPE: int~rnAl (vi) ORIGINAL SOUR OE:
(A) ORGANISM: Homo ~Api Pn.q IO (ix) FE~TURE:
(A) NAME/KEY: Region (B) LOC~TION: 1..7 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /l_bel= VL6_CDR2 (xi) ~U~N~ DESCRIPTIoN: SEQ ID NO:13:

Glu Asp Aqn Gln Arg Pro Phe l 5 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:14:

(i) ~u~ CHAR~rERISTICS:
(A) LENGTH: 34 amino acidq (B) TYPE: amino acid (D) TOPOLOGY: linear ( ii ) ~T .~lT .~ TYPE: peptide (iii) HYPJ~ lCAL: NO

(v) PRAGME~T TYPE: int~rn~l SUBSTITUTE Sl ZEET ~RL~'LE 26) W097/10846 PCT~S96/14937 (vi) ORIGINAL SOUROE :
(A) ORG~NISM: Homo sapiens (ix) FE~TURE:
(A) N~ME/KEY: Region (B) LOCATION: 1..34 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= VL6_FR3 10 (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:14:

Gly Val Pro Asp Arg Phe Ser Gly Ser Ile Asp Thr Ser Ser Asn Ser l 5 l0 15 15 Ala Ser Leu Thr Ile Ser Gly Leu Lys Thr Glu Asp Glu Ala Asp Tyr Tyr Cys (2) INFORMATION FOR SEO ID NO:15:

CH~RACTERISTICS:
(A) LENGTH: l0 amino acids (B) TYPE: amino acid (D) TOPOLOGY: linear (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide (iii) HYP~ CAL: NO

(v) FR~aME~T TYPE: internal SUBSTITUTE Sl IEET (RULE 26) _ WO 97/10846 PCTtUS96/14937 (vi) ORIGI~L SOUROE:
(A) ORGANISM: Homo sapiens (ix) FEAT[~RE:
(A) NAME/KE~Y: Region (B) LOCATICW: l..l0 (D) OTBR INFORMATION: /label= V~6_CDR3 (xi) SEQUENOE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:15:

Gln Ser Tyr Asp Ser Glu Asn Pro Trp Val 15 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:16:

;s2u~;~1~; CH~RACl~;~ISTICS:
(A) Ll~NGTH: ll amino acids (B) TYPE: amino acid (D) TOPOLOGY: linear ( ii ) ~OT .T~ T .F. TYPE: peptide (iii) HYP~l~;llCAL: NO

(v) F~T TYPE: C-terminal (vi) ORIGINAL SOUROE:
(A) ORGANISM: Homo sapiens (ix) F~ATURE:
(A) NAME/~Y: Region SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) CA 02230116 l998-03-l8 WO97/10846 pcTrus96ll4937 (B) LOCATION: 1..11 (D) OTHER INFORMATION: /label= VL6_FR4 (Xl) SE~U~ DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:16:

Phe Gly Gly Gly Thr Lys Leu Thr Val Leu Gly (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:17:

(i) ~U~N~ C~ARA~TERISTICS:
(A) LENGTH: 17 base pairs (B) TYPE: nucleic acid (C) STRAN~LN~SS: single (D) TOPOLOGY: linear (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA

(iii) HYP~l~llCAL: NO

(vi) ORIGIN~ SOUROE :
(A) ORG~NISM: S~Nl~llC PRIMER

(xi) SEQUENOE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:17:

ATTAACCCTC ACTA~AG 17 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:18:

(i) SEQUEN OE CHARA~'l'~KISTICS:

SUBSTITUTE S!~EET (RULE 26) CA 02230ll6 l998-03-l8 (A) LENGTH: 21 base pairs (B) TYPE: nucleic acid (C) STR~NDEDNESS: single (D) TOPOLOGY: linear S
(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA

(iii) H~ CAL: NO

IO (vi) ORIGrN~L SOUROE :
(A) ORG~NISM: SYNTHETIC PRIMER

(xi) SEQUENOE DESCRIPTIOW: SEQ ID NO:18:

GAATTCTA~A CTAGCTAGTC G 21 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:19:

(i) SEQUENCE CH~RA~l~KISTICS:
(A) LENGTH: 18 base pairs (B) TYPE: ml~l~;c acid (C) STRANDEDNESS: single (D) TOPOLOGY: 1 in~

(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA

~iii) HYP~L~l~lCAL: NO

(vi) ORIGINAL SOURCE:
(A) ORGANISM: SYNTHETIC PRIMER

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) CA 02230ll6 l998-03-l8 WO97/10846 61 PCTrUSs6/14937 _ (xi) SEQUEN OE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:19:

G~AGTAGTCC TTGACCAG 18 ~2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:20:

(i) SEQUEN OE CH~R~ T~TIcs:
(A) LENGTH: 21 base pairs (B) TYPE: mlcl ~; C acid (C) STRANDEDNESS: single (D) TOPOLOGY: linear (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA

(iii) HYPO~ lCAL: NO

(vi) ORIGIN~L SOUROE:
(A) ORGANISM: SYNTHETIC PRIMER

(xi) ~N~ DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:20:

GAAGTCACTT ATGAG~CACA C 21 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:21:

(i) SEQUENOE CHPRA~TERISTICS:
(A) LENGTH: 369 base pairs (B) TYPE: mlcl ~; C acid (C) STRANDEDNESS: double (D) TOPOLOGY: linear SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) WO97/10846 PCT~US96/14937 (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA

(iii) HYP~l~llCAL: NO

S (vi) ORIGINA~ SOUR OE :
(A) ORGANISM: Homo sapiens (Xl) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:21:

CTCa~GGAaT ~'~ ~A3A ~ ACAG CC~GGGC3GT CCCTG~aACT ~l~C~l~ll~A 60 ACllCAGGAT TCA~'l'lll~G TGACTATCCT GTGAATTGGT TCCGCCAGGC TCCaGG3AAa 120 GGGCIGG~T GGCTAGGTAT CGTTaaA~aC AGAClllATG GTGGGACACT TC~ATACGCC 180 G~l~-l~l~G AP~GC~GATT CACCATCTCA AGAGATGATT CCaAAaaCAT CGCCTATCTG 240 CACATGAACA GTCTGA~ATC CG~33~ACG GC~l~lATT A~ ACCA~l~l 300 AACATTGACT A~l~C~A GG~AACCCTG GTCACC~l~-l CTTCAGCCTC CACCA~GGGT 360 CCAl~l~l 369 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:22:

(i) SE~u~N~ CHARACTERISTICS:
(A) LENGTH: 330 base pairs (B) TYPE: m~l ~; C acid (C) STRA~ N~SS: double (D) TOPOLOGY: linear SUBSTITUTE S5~EET (RVLE 26) WO97/10846 PCT~S96/14937 (ii) ~T.F.~.~. TYPE: cDNA

(iii) H~u~ CAL: NO

(vi) ORIGrNAL SOUROE:
tA) ORGANISM: Homo 8apien8 (Xl) ~U~ DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:22:

G~CTCACTC AGCCCCACTC 'l~'l~'l'C~A~ 'l~l~l~G~A AGACGGTAAC CAl~lC~l~C 60 A~C~CCG GTG~CAGAAT TGCC~C~AC TATGTGC~GT GGTACCA~CA GC~C~C 120 A~l'l'CCCC~A CCACTGTGAT TTATGA~GAT AACCAAAaAC ~l'l~ ~l' CCCTG~TCGG 180 ~ll~l~l~GCT CC~TCGAC~C ~lC~-l~AAC TCTGC~l'CCC TC~CCATCTC TGGACTG~AG 240 ACTGAGGACG hLGCTGPCTA CTACTGTCAG TCTTATGATA G~G~AAACCC 'll~'l~'l'lC 300 GG~ 7~ CCa~GCTG~C c~lC~lA~GT 330 SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)

Claims (17)

- 64 -We claim:

1. A pharmaceutical preparation comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier; and a substantially pure antibody selectively binding an RSV F glycoprotein epitope,wherein said antibody includes a heavy chain CDR3 region having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7.

2. The pharmaceutical preparation of claim 1 wherein said antibody comprises an Fd fragment.

3. The pharmaceutical preparation of claim 1 wherein said antibody comprises an Fab fragment.

4. The pharmaceutical preparation of claim 1 wherein said antibody includes a heavy chain CDR2 region having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:5.

5. The pharmaceutical preparation of claim 1 wherein said antibody includes a heavy chain CDR1 region having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3.

6. The pharmaceutical preparation of claim 1 wherein said antibody includes a heavy chain Fd region including the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO 1.

7. The pharmaceutical preparation of claim 3 wherein said antibody includes a light chain CDR3 region having the amino acid sequence of SEQ
IDNO:15.

8. The pharmaceutical preparation of claim 3 wherein said antibody includes a light chain CDR2 region having the amino acid sequence of SEQ
ID NO: 13.

9. The pharmaceutical preparation of claim 3 wherein said antibody includes a light chain CDR1 region having the amino acid sequence of SEQ
ID NO: 11.

10. The pharmaceutical preparation of claim 3 wherein said antibody includes a light chain region including the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID
NO: 9.

11. The pharmaceutical preparation of claim 1 wherein said antibody has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7.

12. The pharmaceutical preparation of claim 11 wherein said antibody consists essentially of SEQ ID NO: 7.

13. A pharmaceutical preparation comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier; and a vector including a regulatory sequence operably joined to an isolated nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding an antibody selected from the group consisting of the antibody of claim 1, the antibody of claim 2, the antibody of claim 3, the antibody of claim 4, the antibody of claim 5, the antibody of claim 6, the antibody of claim 7, the antibody of claim 8, the antibody of claim 9, the antibody of claim 10, the antibody of claim 11, and the antibody of claim 12.

14. A method for the treatment of active RSV disease comprising a administering to a patient in need of such treatment a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12.

15. A method for prophylactic treatment against infection by RSV comprising administering to a patient in need of such treatment a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12.

16. A method for the treatment of active RSV disease comprising administering to a patient in need of such treatment a therapeutically effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition of claim 13.

17. A method for prophylactic treatment against infection by RSV comprising administering to a patient in need of such treatment a therapeutically effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition of claim 13.