Camelidae antibodies against imminoglobulin e and use thereof for the treatment of allergic disorders

Abstract

The invention relates to a method suitable for administering protein therapeutic molecules orally, sublingually, topically, intravenously, subcutaneously, nasally, vaginally, rectally or by inhalation so as to avoid inactivation, by using VHH polypeptides derived from Camelidae antibodies. The invention further relates to the said therapeutic molecules. The invention further a method for delivering therapeutic molecules to the interior of cells. The invention furthe relates to anti-IgE therapeutic molecules.

Description

BACKGROUND [0001] Polypeptide therapeutics and in particular antibody-based therapeutics have significant potential as drugs because they have exquisite specificity to their target and a low inherent toxicity. However, they have one important drawback: these are complex, large molecules and therefore relatively unstable, and they are sensitive to breakdown by proteases. Because the degradation they undergo during passage through, for instance, the gastrointestinal tract, administration of conventional antibodies and their derived fragments or single-chain formats (e.g. scFv's) is not very effective. This means that conventional antibody drugs cannot be administered orally, sublingually, topically, nasally, vaginally, rectally or by inhalation because they are not resistant to the low pH at these sites, the action of proteases at these sites and in the blood and / or because of their large size. They have to be administered by injection (intravenously, subcutaneously, etc.) to overcome...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0082] The present invention relates to a polypeptide construct comprising one or more single domain antibodies directed to one or more target molecule(s), each in a suitable dosage form either directly or as part of a composition containing an ingredient which facilitates delivery.

[0269] By “pharmaceutically acceptable” is meant a material that is not biologically or otherwise undesirable, i.e., the material may be administered to an individual along with the compound without causing any undesirable biological effects or interacting in a deleterious manner with any of the other components of the pharmaceutical composition in which it is contained.

Problems solved by technology

However, they have one important drawback: these are complex, large molecules and therefore relatively unstable, and they are sensitive to breakdown by proteases.

Because the degradation they undergo during passage through, for instance, the gastrointestinal tract, administration of conventional antibodies and their derived fragments or single-chain formats (e.g. scFv's) is not very effective.

This means that conventional antibody drugs cannot be administered orally, sublingually, topically, nasally, vaginally, rectally or by inhalation because they are not resistant to the low pH at these sites, the action of proteases at these sites and in the blood and / or because of their large size.

Administration by injection is therefore the most frequently used method of administration although the method has many disadvantages, for example: (a) poor tolerance by patients, especially when treating chronic disorder; (b) a consequent risk of poor compliance with the dosage when the drug is not a ‘life saver’; (c) difficulty of carrying out self-administration by the patient; (d) possible non-availability of suitable surroundings for carrying out the procedure in an aseptic manner; (e) requires specialist training in order to use a hypodermic syringe or needle correctly and safely.

However, they have important drawbacks: these antibodies are complex, large molecules and therefore relatively unstable, and they are sensitive to breakdown by proteases.

Moreover, the domains of such antibodies are held together by disulphide bonds that dissociate in the reducing environment of the cytoplasm leading to a substantial loss of binding activity.

Therefore, they cannot be used to target intracellular proteins.

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