Antibodies binding to CD3 and uses thereof
Antibodies with defined CD3 variable regions and bispecific/multispecific formats targeting CD3 and tumor antigens address non-specific binding and cytokine release issues, improving T cell activation and tumor cell killing efficacy.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/CN2025/114428
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2025-04-28
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-13
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-19
AI Technical Summary
Current CD3 antibodies used in bispecific and multispecific formats face challenges with non-specific binding and cytokine release, necessitating improved antibodies that better target and activate T cells.
Development of antibodies with specific CD3 heavy and light chain variable regions, including defined HCDR and LCDR sequences, and bispecific/multispecific antibodies that target CD3 and tumor-associated antigens like MUC16 or BCMA/CD19, with optimized antigen-binding regions and Fc regions for enhanced specificity and functionality.
The antibodies demonstrate improved binding and activation of T cells, potentially enhancing tumor cell killing through immune synapse formation and reducing non-specific effects.
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Figure PCTCN2025114428-FTAPPB-I100003
Abstract
Description
ANTIBODIES BINDING TO CD3 AND USES THEREOFCROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of patent application number PCT / CN2024 / 112076, filed on August 14, 2024, and patent application number PCT / CN2025 / 091810, filed on April 28, 2025, both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to an antibody binding to CD3 and use thereof, and in particular to an antibody binding to CD3, bispecific and multispecific antibodies comprising the antibody, and use of these antibodies. SEQUENCE LISTING
[0003] The instant application contains a Sequence Listing which has been submitted herewith and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Said . xml copy, created on August 2, 2025, is named LBL25110PCT-MTP250357-2-SL, and is 284, 264 bytes in size.BACKGROUND
[0004] CD3 is a homodimeric or heterodimeric antigen expressed on T cells, which binds to the T-cell receptor (TCR) complex and is required for the activation of T cells. Functional CD3 is formed by dimeric association of two of four different chains: ε, ζ, δ, and γ. The CD3 dimer arrangements include γ / ε, δ / ε, and ζ / ζ. Antibodies directed against CD3 have been shown to cluster CD3 on T cells, thereby causing the activation of T cells in a manner similar to the engagement of the TCR by peptide-loaded MHC molecules. Thus, anti-CD3 antibodies have been proposed for therapeutic purposes involving the activation of T cells.
[0005] Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have recently opened a new era in tumor immunotherapy by blocking the binding of immune checkpoint molecules (e.g., PD-1 or CTLA4) to ligands to relieve immunosuppression, thereby restoring T cell function. Up to now, immune checkpoint inhibitor drugs have been approved for marketing for certain indications, such as melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and lymphoma (Pico de Coana, Y. et al. (2015) Trends Mol Med. 21 (8) : 482-491) (Bu, X., et al. (2017) Adv Exp Med Biol. 1026: 383-402) (Hargadon, K. M et al. (2018) Int Immunopharmacol 62: 29-39) . The immune system primarily eliminates tumor cells in the body through T cells. However, the tumor cells escape the killing of the immune system by a variety of methods. T-cell engagers are a class of bispecific antibodies that can simultaneously bind to CD3 of T cells and tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) of tumor cells (Labrijn, A. F., et al. (2019) Nat Rev Drug Discov 18 (8) : 585-608. ) (Ellerman, D. (2019) , Methods 154: 102-117) . Such bispecific antibodies can simultaneously bind to T cells and tumor cells, drive the formation of immune synapses among the cells, and activate the T cells to kill the tumor cells. Blinatumomab, as the first marketed T-cell engager, has confirmed the feasibility of this theory, and more T-cell engagers have been in early development and widely used for the treatment of hematological tumors and solid tumors (Goebeler, M. E. and R. C. Bargou (2020) , Nat Rev Clin Oncol, 17 (7) : 418-434. ) .
[0006] Currently, several CD3 antibodies have been developed, but it has been found in practical clinical applications that, especially when used in bispecific and multispecific antibodies, these antibodies still require further improvement in non-specific binding, cytokine release, and other aspects. Therefore, there is a need in the art to obtain CD3 antibodies that better bind to and activate T cells, as well as bispecific antibodies and multispecific antibodies based on the CD3 antibodies.SUMMARY
[0007] To solve the above problems, in a first aspect, the present disclosure provides an antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof specifically binding to CD3, which comprises a CD3 heavy chain variable region and a CD3 light chain variable region. The CD3 heavy chain variable region comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3, the HCDR1 comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 (TYAMN) , the HCDR2 comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2 (RIRSKYNNYX1TYYADSVKD) , and the HCDR3 comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 3 (HX2NFGNSYVSWFAX3) , wherein X1, X2, and X3 are any amino acid and at least two of them are D or E, respectively. The CD3 light chain variable region comprises an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3, the LCDR1 comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4 (RSSTGAVTTSNYAN) , the LCDR2 comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5 (GTNKRAP) , and the LCDR3 comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6 (ALWYSNLWV) .
[0008] In some embodiments, in the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof specifically binding to CD3 of the present disclosure, the HCDR2 comprises a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 7, 44, and 71-72, and the HCDR3 comprises a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 8 and 73-79. In some embodiments, any one of SEQ ID NOs: 7-8, 44, and 71-79 may comprise of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions. In some embodiments, any one of SEQ ID NOs: 7-8, 44, and 71-79 as described herein may comprise of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid mutations.
[0009] In a preferred embodiment, in the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof specifically binding to CD3 of the present disclosure, the HCDR2 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7, and the HCDR3 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 8; the HCDR2 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, and the HCDR3 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 8; the HCDR2 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7, and the HCDR3 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 73; the HCDR2 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, and the HCDR3 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 74; the HCDR2 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, and the HCDR3 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 75; the HCDR2 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, and the HCDR3 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 73; the HCDR2 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7, and the HCDR3 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 76; the HCDR2 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, and the HCDR3 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 77; the HCDR2 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 44, and the HCDR3 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 73; the HCDR2 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, and the HCDR3 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 78; the HCDR2 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, and the HCDR3 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 79; or the HCDR2 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 72, and the HCDR3 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 73.
[0010] In some embodiments, in the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof specifically binding to CD3 of the present disclosure, the CD3 heavy chain variable region comprises or consists of a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 9 and 80-90, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 9 and 80-90, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 9 and 80-90, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region; and the CD3 light chain variable region comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region.
[0011] In some embodiments, the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof specifically binding to CD3 of the present disclosure is an scFv, wherein the CD3 heavy chain variable region and the CD3 light chain variable region are linked via a linker (e.g., a linker peptide) or a hinge region. The linker peptide is selected from the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 50-54, and the hinge region is selected from the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 55-56.
[0012] In some embodiments, the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof specifically binding to CD3 of the present disclosure is an scFv and comprises or consists of a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 11 and 91-101.
[0013] In some embodiments, the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof specifically binding to CD3 of the present disclosure is a Fab and comprises or consists of a Fab heavy chain and a Fab light chain, the Fab heavy chain comprising or consisting of a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 12 and 102-112, and the Fab light chain comprising or consisting of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13.
[0014] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a bispecific antibody comprising a BsAb first antigen-binding region and a BsAb second antigen-binding region, wherein the BsAb first antigen-binding region specifically binds to CD3 and comprises the CD3 heavy chain variable region and the CD3 light chain variable region according to the first aspect; and the BsAb second antigen-binding region specifically binds to a tumor-associated antigen. In a preferred embodiment, the tumor-associated antigen in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure is MUC16.
[0015] In some embodiments, the BsAb second antigen-binding region in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure comprises a MUC16 heavy chain variable region and / or a MUC16 light chain variable region, wherein: the MUC16 heavy chain variable region: (i) comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 of a heavy chain variable region consisting of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14; (ii) comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15, SEQ ID NO: 16, and SEQ ID NO: 17, respectively, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15, SEQ ID NO: 16, and SEQ ID NO: 17, respectively; or (iii) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region; the MUC16 light chain variable region: (i) comprises an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3 of a light chain variable region consisting of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18; (ii) comprises an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19, SEQ ID NO: 20, and SEQ ID NO: 21, respectively, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19, SEQ ID NO: 20, and SEQ ID NO: 21, respectively; or (iii) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region.
[0016] In some embodiments, the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure comprises: (1) a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BsAb first antigen-binding region and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) , wherein the BsAb first antigen-binding region is an scFv; (2) a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region (e.g., the MUC16 heavy chain variable region) of the BsAb second antigen-binding region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; and (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region (e.g., the MUC16 light chain variable region) of the BsAb second antigen-binding region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , wherein the Fc region in the chain 1 and the Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer.
[0017] In a preferred embodiment, in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the BsAb first antigen-binding region in the chain 1 comprises or consists of a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 11 and 91-101, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 11 and 91-101; the MUC16 heavy chain variable region in the chain 2 comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14; and the MUC16 light chain variable region in the chain 3 comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18.
[0018] In one specific embodiment, in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the chain 1 comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 25; the chain 2 comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 26; and the chain 3 comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 24.
[0019] In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides a multispecific antibody comprising a CD3 binding domain comprises a CD3 heavy chain variable region comprising: an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1; an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2 (RIRSKYNNYX1TYYADSVKD) ; an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 3 (HX2NFGNSYVSWFAX3) , wherein X1, X2, and X3 are any amino acid and at least two of them are D or E, respectively; and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising: an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4; an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5; and an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6; a CD19 binding domain; and a BCMA binding domain.
[0020] In some embodiments, the CD3 heavy chain variable region HCDR2 comprises a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 7, 44, 71, or 72, and / or the CD3 heavy chain variable region HCDR3 comprises a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 8 or 73-79. In some embodiments, the CD3 heavy chain variable region HCDR2 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7 and / or the CD3 heavy chain variable region HCDR3 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 8.
[0021] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure comprises a CD3 heavy chain variable region comprising an amino acid sequence at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 9 or 80-90 and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an amino acid sequence at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10. In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure comprises the CD3 heavy chain variable region comprising an amino acid sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 9 or 80-90; and the CD3 light chain variable region comprising an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10. In some embodiments of the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the CD3 heavy chain variable region comprises SEQ ID NO: 9 and the CD3 light chain variable region comprises SEQ ID NO: 10.
[0022] In some embodiments, the BCMA binding domain (i) comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 28, SEQ ID NO: 29, and SEQ ID NO: 30, respectively, or (ii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 28, SEQ ID NO: 29, and SEQ ID NO: 30, respectively. In some embodiments, the BCMA binding domain (i) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, or (ii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27. In some embodiments, the BCMA binding domain comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region.
[0023] In some embodiments, the BCMA binding domain in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure is a BCMA VHH that specifically binds to BCMA. In some embodiments the BCMA VHH (i) comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27; (ii) comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 28, SEQ ID NO: 29, and SEQ ID NO: 30, respectively, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 28, SEQ ID NO: 29, and SEQ ID NO: 30, respectively; or (3) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region.
[0024] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes the CD19 binding domain, wherein the CD19 binding domain comprises: a CD19 heavy chain variable region comprising: an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, SEQ ID NO: 33, and SEQ ID NO: 34, respectively, or an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, SEQ ID NO: 33, and SEQ ID NO: 34, respectively, or the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, or an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31; and a CD19 light chain variable region comprising: an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 36, SEQ ID NO: 37, and SEQ ID NO: 38, respectively, or an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 36, SEQ ID NO: 37, and SEQ ID NO: 38, respectively, or the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35, or (v) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35.
[0025] In some embodiments, the TsAb second antigen-binding region in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure comprises a CD19 heavy chain variable region and a CD19 light chain variable region, wherein the CD19 heavy chain variable region: (i) comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 of a heavy chain variable region consisting of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31; (ii) comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, SEQ ID NO: 33, and SEQ ID NO: 34, respectively, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, SEQ ID NO: 33, and SEQ ID NO: 34, respectively; or (iii) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region; and the CD19 light chain variable region: (i) comprises an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3 of a light chain variable region consisting of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35; (ii) comprises an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 36, SEQ ID NO: 37, and SEQ ID NO: 38, respectively, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 36, SEQ ID NO: 37, and SEQ ID NO: 38, respectively; or (iii) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region.
[0026] In some embodiments, in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the TsAb first antigen-binding region is a Fab or scFv; and / or the TsAb second antigen-binding region is a Fab or scFv. In some specific embodiments, when the TsAb first antigen-binding region and / or the TsAb second antigen-binding region in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure is a Fab, the Fab heavy chain comprises a CH1, wherein the CH1 is a CH1 from IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, or IgG4, preferably a CH1 from IgG1; and the Fab light chain comprises a CL. In some embodiments, in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the CD3 binding domain is a Fab or scFv and / or the CD19 binding domain is a Fab or scFv. In some embodiments, the CD3 binding domain is an scFv. In some embodiments, the CD19 binding domain is a Fab. In yet other embodiments, when the CD3 binding domain and / or the CD19 binding domain is a Fab, wherein a heavy chain of the Fab comprises a CH1, wherein the CH1 is a CH1 from IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, or IgG4; and a light chain of the Fab comprises a CL. In some embodiments, the CD3 binding domain is scFv, the CD19 binding domain is a Fab, and wherein a BCMA binding domain is an VHH.
[0027] In some embodiments, in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the TsAb first antigen-binding region is an scFv, and the TsAb second antigen-binding region is a Fab, the multispecific antibody comprising: (1) a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the TsAb third antigen-binding region and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) , wherein the TsAb third antigen-binding region is a VHH (e.g., the BCMA VHH) ; (2) a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region (e.g., the CD19 heavy chain variable region) of the TsAb second antigen-binding region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , the TsAb first antigen-binding region, and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) , wherein the TsAb first antigen-binding region is an scFv; and (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region (e.g., the CD19 light chain variable region) of the TsAb second antigen-binding region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , wherein the Fc region in the chain 1 and the Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer.
[0028] In some embodiments, in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the CD3 binding domain is an scFv, and the CD19 binding domain is a Fab, the multispecific antibody comprising: a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BCMA binding domain and a first Fc region, wherein the BCMA binding domain is a VHH; a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain, a CH1 region, the CD3 binding domain, and a second Fc region, wherein the CD3 binding domain is an scFv; and a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain and a light chain constant region, wherein the first Fc region in the chain 1 and the second Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and the first Fc region and the second Fc region form an Fc dimer, wherein chain 1 and chain 2 form one or more inter-chain disulfide bonds, and wherein chain 2 and chain 3 form at least one inter-chain disulfide bond.
[0029] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody comprises one or more linker and / or a hinge region, wherein the one or more linker and / or the hinge region is positioned 1) between the second Fc region and the CD3 binding domain, and / or 2) between the CD3 heavy chain variable region and the CD3 light chain variable region of the CD3 binding domain. In some embodiments, the linker comprises any one of SEQ ID NOs: 50-54.
[0030] In some embodiments, the N-terminus of the heavy chain variable region of the CD3-binding domain is directly linked to the C-terminus of the heavy chain CH1 region of the CD19 binding domain. In some embodiments, the hinge region at the C-terminus of the CH1 region of the CD19 binding domain forms an inter-chain disulfide bind with chain 3.
[0031] In some embodiments, in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the BCMA binding domain in the chain 1 (i) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, or (ii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27; the CD19 heavy chain variable region in the chain 2 (i) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, or (ii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31; and the CD3 binding domain (i) comprises or consists of at least one of the amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 11 or 91-101, or (ii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to at least one of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 11 or 91-101; and the CD19 light chain variable region in the chain 3 (i) comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35, or (ii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35.
[0032] In a preferred embodiment, in the trispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the TsAb third antigen-binding region in the chain 1 comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27; the CD19 heavy chain variable region in the chain 2 comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, and the TsAb first antigen-binding region comprises or consists of a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 11 and 91-101, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 11 and 91-101; and the CD19 light chain variable region in the chain 3 comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35.
[0033] In one specific embodiment, in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the chain 1 comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 42; the chain 2 comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 43; and the chain 3 comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 41.
[0034] In some embodiments, in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the first Fc region in the chain 1 and the second Fc region in the chain 2 are different. In some embodiments, (i) the first Fc region and the second Fc region comprise a corresponding knob mutation (s) and a corresponding hole mutation (s) , respectively, or (ii) the second Fc region and the first Fc region comprise a corresponding knob mutation (s) and a corresponding hole mutation (s) , respectively. In some embodiments, in the bispecific antibody according to the second aspect or the multispecific antibody according to the third aspect of the present disclosure, the two Fc regions are different, and preferably, a corresponding knob mutation (s) and a corresponding hole mutation (s) are introduced into the two Fc regions, respectively, wherein (i) one Fc-region polypeptide comprises a knob mutation T366W, and the other Fc-region polypeptide comprises hole mutations T366S, L368A, and Y407V, or (ii) one Fc-region polypeptide comprises a knob mutation T366W and / or an Y349C mutation, and the other Fc-region polypeptide comprises hole mutations T366S, L368A, and Y407V, and / or a S354C mutation, or (iii) one Fc-region polypeptide comprises a knob mutation T366W and an S354C mutation, and the other Fc-region polypeptide comprises hole mutations T366S, L368A, and Y407V, and / or an Y349C mutation. In some embodiments, any one of the Fc regions further comprises a mutation (s) that reduces binding to the Fcγ receptor, e.g., one or more of a L234A mutation, a L235A mutation, a D265A mutation, and / or a P329A mutation. For example, the Fc regions may further comprise a L234A, a L235A mutation, a D265A mutation, and a P329A mutation. In some embodiments, one Fc region polypeptide comprises knob mutation T366W and at least one of mutations S354C and Y349C, and the other Fc region comprises hole mutations T366S, L368A, and Y470V, and at least one of mutations Y349C and S354C, wherein the S354C on one Fc region forms a disulfide bond with the Y349C mutation on the other Fc region.
[0035] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the first Fc region in the chain 1 and the second Fc region in the chain 2 are different, and wherein (i) the first Fc region and the second Fc region comprise a corresponding knob mutation (s) and a corresponding hole mutation (s) , respectively, or (ii) the second Fc region and the first Fc region comprise a corresponding knob mutation (s) and a corresponding hole mutation (s) , respectively. In some embodiments, the two Fc regions, (i) one Fc region comprises a knob mutation T366W, and the other Fc region comprises hole mutations T366S, L368A, and Y407V, or (ii) one Fc region comprises a knob mutation T366W and / or an Y349C mutation, and the other Fc region comprises hole mutations T366S, L368A, and Y407V, and a S354C mutation, or (iii) one Fc region comprises knob mutation T366W and / or an S354C mutation, and the other Fc region comprises hole mutations T366S, L368A, and Y407V, and / or a Y349C mutation. In some embodiments, either of the Fc regions can comprise one or more a L234A mutation, a L235A mutation, a D265A mutation, or a P329A mutation.
[0036] In some embodiments, the Fc region comprising a knob mutation (s) further (i) comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59, 64, or 65, or (ii) comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59, 64, or 65; and the Fc region comprising a hole mutation (s) further (i) comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 58, 66, or 67, or (ii) comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 58, 66, or 67. In some embodiments, the Fc region comprising a knob mutation (s) further comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59 and the Fc region comprising a hole mutation (s) further comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 58, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 58; or the Fc region comprising a knob mutation (s) further comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 64, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 64 and the Fc region comprising a hole mutation (s) further comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 66, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 66; or the Fc region comprising a knob mutation (s) further comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 65, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 65 and the Fc region comprising a hole mutation (s) further comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 67, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 67. In some embodiments, the second Fc region comprises the one or more Knob mutations, and wherein the first Fc region comprises the one or more hole mutations.
[0037] In some embodiments, in the bispecific antibody according to the second aspect or the multispecific antibody according to the third aspect of the present disclosure, (1) the Fc region comprising a knob mutation (s) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59, 64, or 65, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity, e.g., 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or more identity, to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59, 64, or 65 and comprising knob mutation T366W and at least one of mutations S354C and Y349C; and / or (2) the Fc region comprising a hole mutation (s) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 58, 66, or 67, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity, e.g., 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or more identity, to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 58, 66, or 67 and comprising hole mutations (e.g., T366S, L368A, and Y407V) and at least one of mutations S354C and Y349C.
[0038] In some embodiments, in the bispecific or multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the different antigen-binding regions, or the antigen-binding region and the constant region (e.g., CH1 or Fc region) are linked directly or via a linker (e.g., a linker peptide) or a hinge region. The linker peptide is a sequence selected from the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 50-54, and the hinge region is selected from the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 55-56. It should be specifically noted that a disulfide bond needs to be formed between the heavy and light chains in the antigen-binding region of the Fab form, and therefore the hinge region at which the disulfide bond is located should be considered to be a constituent sequence of CH1. In this case, the C-terminus of CH1 is the hinge region, and the hinge region is directly linked to other parts of the antibody (which may be other parts of the same antigen-binding region or a different antigen-binding region) , i.e., the CH1 is directly linked to other parts of the antibody.
[0039] In a fourth aspect, the present disclosure provides a combination of nucleic acid molecules encoding the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof according to the first aspect, the bispecific antibody according to the second aspect, or any one of the chains of the multispecific antibody according to the third aspect, or consisting of a nucleic acid sequence. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a combination of nucleic acid molecules encoding the multispecific antibody. In some embodiments, the combination of nucleic acid molecules comprise (i) a first nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 1, wherein chain 1 comprises from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BCMA binding domain and the first Fc region, wherein the BCMA binding domain is a VHH; (ii) a second nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 2, wherein chain 2 comprises from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain, a CH1 region, the CD3 binding domain, and the second Fc region; and (iii) a third nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 3, wherein chain 3 comprises from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain and a light chain constant region. In some embodiments, the first nucleic acid molecule or the second nucleic acid molecule encodes a polypeptide comprising the CD3 heavy chain variable region of the first aspect or the third aspect and at least one of the CD19 binding domain or the BCMA binding domain of the multispecific antibody of the third aspect.
[0040] In a fifth aspect, the present disclosure provides one or more expression vectors comprising the nucleic acid molecule (s) according to the fourth aspect. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides an expression vector comprising the nucleic acid molecule encoding the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides one or more expression vectors. In some embodiments, the one or more expression vectors comprises a combination of nucleic acid molecules, wherein the combination of nucleic acid molecules comprise (i) a first nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 1, wherein chain 1 comprises from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BCMA binding domain and the first Fc region, wherein the BCMA binding domain is a VHH; (ii) a second nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 2, wherein chain 2 comprises from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain, a CH1 region, the CD3 binding domain, and the second Fc region; and (iii) a third nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 3, wherein chain 3 comprises from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain and a light chain constant region. In some embodiments, the one or more expression vectors comprises one, two, or three of the first, second, and / or third nucleic acid molecules. In some instances, the expression vector comprises a nucleic acid molecule encoding the CD3 heavy chain variable region of the first aspect or third aspect and a nucleic acid molecule encoding the CD19 binding domain of the third aspect.
[0041] In a sixth aspect, the present disclosure provides a host cell comprising the combination of nucleic acid molecules according to the fourth aspect or the one or more expression vectors according to the fifth aspect.
[0042] In some embodiments, the host cell is prokaryotic or eukaryotic, e.g., a 293 cell or a CHO cell, such as a 293F cell or a 293T cell or a CHO-Scell. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a host cell comprising the nucleic acid molecule encoding the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure or the expression vector comprising the nucleic acid molecule encoding the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the host cell comprises a nucleic acid molecule encoding the CD3 heavy chain variable region of the first aspect or third aspect (or an expression vector comprising the same) and a nucleic acid molecule encoding at least one of the CD19 binding domain or the BCMA binding domain of the third aspect (or an expression vector comprising the same) . In some instances, the host cell comprises a nucleic acid molecule encoding the CD3 heavy chain variable region of the first aspect or third aspect (or an expression vector comprising the same) , a nucleic acid molecule encoding the CD19 binding domain of the third aspect (or an expression vector comprising the same) , and a nucleic acid molecule encoding the BCMA binding domain of the third aspect (or an expression vector comprising the same) . In some instances, the host cell comprises a plurality of nucleic acid molecules, the plurality of nucleic acid molecules comprising at least one nucleic acid molecule encoding the CD3 heavy chain variable region and at least one nucleic acid molecule encoding at least one of the CD19 binding domain or the BCMA binding domain. In some instances, the plurality of nucleic acid molecules are part of one or more vectors. In some instances, different vectors encode one or of the nucleic acid molecule encoding the CD3 heavy chain variable region, the nucleic acid molecule encoding the CD19 binding domain, or the nucleic acid molecule encoding the BCMA binding domain.
[0043] In a seventh aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for preparing the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof according to the first aspect, the bispecific antibody according to the second aspect, or the multispecific antibody according to the third aspect, and the method comprises culturing a host cell comprising the combination of nucleic acid molecules according to the fourth aspect or the expression vectors according to the sixth aspect under a condition suitable for expressing the chains of the antibody, and optionally recovering the antibody from the host cell (or a host cell culture medium) .
[0044] In yet another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for preparing the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the method comprising: culturing a host cell comprising the combination of nucleic acid molecules according to the fourth aspect or the expression vectors according to the sixth aspect under a condition suitable for expressing chain 1, chain 2, and chain 3 of the multispecific antibody; and optionally recovering the multispecific antibody from the host cell, or a host cell culture medium.
[0045] In an eighth aspect, the present disclosure provides an immunoconjugate comprising the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof according to the first aspect, the bispecific antibody according to the second aspect, or the multispecific antibody according to the third aspect. In some embodiments, the immunoconjugate comprises the multispecific antibody according to the present disclosure.
[0046] In a ninth aspect, the present disclosure provides a pharmaceutical composition or a medicament or a formulation comprising the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof according to the first aspect, the bispecific antibody according to the second aspect, or the multispecific antibody according to the third aspect, or the immunoconjugate according to the eighth aspect, and optionally a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient (which may also be referred to in the context of this disclosure as a pharmaceutical supplementary material) . In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a pharmaceutical composition or a medicament or a formulation comprising the multispecific antibody according to any one of the aspects described herein.
[0047] In a tenth aspect, the present disclosure provides a pharmaceutical combination product comprising the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof according to the first aspect, the bispecific antibody according to the second aspect, or the multispecific antibody according to the third aspect, or the immunoconjugate according to the eighth aspect, or the pharmaceutical composition of the medicament or the formulation according to the ninth aspect, and one or more additional therapeutic agents. In some embodiments, the one or more additional therapeutic agents comprises a chemotherapeutic agent, a cytokine, a cytotoxic agent, an additional antibody, a small molecule drug, or an immunomodulatory agent.
[0048] In an eleventh aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for preventing or treating a disease or condition in a subject, and the method comprises administering to the subject an effective amount of the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof according to the first aspect, the bispecific antibody according to the second aspect, or the multispecific antibody according to the third aspect, or the immunoconjugate according to the eighth aspect, or the pharmaceutical composition or the medicament or the formulation according to the ninth aspect, or the pharmaceutical combination product according to the tenth aspect. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a method for preventing or treating a disease in a subject, the method comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of the multispecific antibody of any one of the aspects described herein, or the immunoconjugate of any one of the aspects described herein, or the pharmaceutical composition or the medicament or the formulation of any one of the aspects described herein, or the pharmaceutical combination product any one of the aspects described herein.. In some embodiments, the method may further include administering a second therapy comprising at least one of a second therapeutic agent, a surgical therapy or a radiotherapy. In some embodiments, the second therapeutic agent is a chemotherapeutic agent, a cytokine, a cytotoxic agent, an additional antibody, a small molecule drug, or an immunomodulatory agent.
[0049] In any of the above aspects, each of the BCMA-binding domain, CD3 binding domain, and CD19 binding domain can be any format that can bind to the respective antigen, e.g., VHH, scFv, or Fab.
[0050] In some embodiments, the disease or condition can be treated by a therapy that results in activation of a CD3 signaling pathway and / or activation of T cells. In some embodiments, the disease or condition is cancer, an autoimmune disease, a B-cell mediated inflammatory disease, or organ or tissue transplant rejection. In some embodiments, the disease or condition is (i) a BCMA-positive and / or CD19-positive cancer or (ii) a BCMA-positive and / or CD19-positive autoimmune disease or (iii) a BCMA-positive and / or CD19-positive B-cell mediated inflammatory disease.
[0051] In some embodiments, the disease or condition is cancer. In some embodiments, the cancer is a renal cancer, a pancreatic cancer, a colon cancer, a rectal cancer, a colorectal cancer, a lung cancer, an ovarian cancer, a bladder cancer, a melanoma, a prostate cancer, a breast cancer, a glioma, a neuroectodermal cancer, a lymphoma, a multiple myeloma, a leukemia, or a blood cancer.
[0052] In some embodiments, the disease or condition is autoimmune disease. In some embodiments, the autoimmune disease is an inflammatory disease or a non-inflammatory disease. In some embodiments, the autoimmune disease comprises a skin disease, an ophthalmic disease, a renal disease, a hematological disease, a neurological disease, an orthopedic disease, a digestive disease, an endocrine disease, or a respiratory disease. In some embodiments, the disease or condition is a B-cell mediated inflammatory disease. In some embodiments, the B-cell mediated inflammatory disease comprises a skin disease, an ophthalmic disease, a renal disease, a hematological disease, a neurological disease, an orthopedic disease, a digestive disease, an endocrine disease, or a respiratory disease.
[0053] In some embodiments, the autoimmune disease and / or B-cell mediated inflammatory disease comprises myasthenia gravis, Sjogren’s syndrome, inflammatory myopathies, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, anti-phospholipid syndrome, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, immune thrombocytopenia, ANCA-associated vasculitis, vasculitis including polymyalgia rheumatica, Takayasu’s arteritis, Buerger’s disease, Henoch-Schonlein Purpura, Churg-Strauss Syndrome, hemolytic anemia, systemic lupus erythematosus, cutaneous lupus erythematosus, lupus nephritis, rheumatic diseases, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) , including multi-drug-resistant RA, mixed connective tissue diseases, ankylosing spondylitis, multiple sclerosis (MS) , neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, autoimmune encephalitis, immune-mediated or type 1 diabetes, immune-mediated glomerulonephritis such as membranous nephropathy (PLA2R-positive or THSD7A-positive) , IgA nephropathy, scleroderma / systemic sclerosis (SSc) , blood diseases, aplastic anemia, pernicious anemia, ophthalmic diseases, optic neuritis, alopecia, pemphigus, pemphigus vulgaris, bullous pemphigoid, inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, autoimmune thyroid diseases, Hashimoto’s disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Graves disease, Addison’s disease, dermatomyositis, polymoyositic, Goodpasture’s syndrome, pseudoparalytic myasthenia gravis, phakogene uveitis, chronic aggressive hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, vitiligo vulgaris, vitiligo, Behcet’s syndrome, collagen diseases, uveitis, autoimmune myocarditis, autoimmune liver diseases, autoimmune gastritis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, HTLV-1-related myelopathy, IgG4-related disease, or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.
[0054] In some embodiments, the autoimmune disease can be Achalasia, Addison’s disease, Adult Still’s disease, Agammaglobulinemia, Alopecia areata, Amyloidosis, Ankylosing spondylitis, Anti-GBM / Anti-TBM nephritis, Antiphospholipid syndrome, Anti-synthetase syndrome, Autoimmune angioedema, Autoimmune dysautonomia, Autoimmune encephalitis, Autoimmune enteropathy, Autoimmune epilepsy, Autoimmune hepatitis, Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) , Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) , Autoimmune myocarditis, Autoimmune oophoritis, Autoimmune orchitis, Autoimmune pancreatitis, Autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (aPAP) , Autoimmune retinopathy, Autoimmune urticaria, Axonal &neuronal neuropathy (AMAN) , Baló disease, Behcet’s disease, Benign mucosal pemphigoid (Mucous membrane pemphigoid) , Bullous pemphigoid, Castleman disease (CD) , Celiac disease, Chagas disease, Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) , Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) , Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) or Eosinophilic granulomatosis (EGPA) , Cicatricial pemphigoid, Cogan’s syndrome, Cold agglutinin disease, Complex regional pain syndrome (formerly known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy) , Congenital heart block, Coxsackie myocarditis, CREST syndrome, Crohn’s disease, Dermatitis herpetiformis, Dermatomyositis, Devic’s disease (neuromyelitis optica) , Discoid lupus, Dressler’s syndrome, Endometriosis, Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) , Eosinophilic fasciitis, Erythema nodosum, Essential mixed cryoglobulinemia, Evans syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Fibrosing alveolitis, Giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis) , Giant cell myocarditis, Glomerulonephritis, Goodpasture’s syndrome, Granulomatosis with polyangiitis, Graves’ disease, Guillain-Barre syndrome, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Hemolytic anemia, Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) , Herpes gestationis or pemphigoid gestationis (PG) , Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) (Acne inversa) , IgA nephropathy, IgG4-related sclerosing disease, Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) , Inclusion body myositis (IBM) , Interstitial cystitis (IC) , Juvenile arthritis, Juvenile diabetes (Type 1 diabetes) , Juvenile myositis (JM) , Kawasaki disease, Lambert-Eaton syndrome, Lichen planus, Lichen sclerosus, Ligneous conjunctivitis, Linear IgA disease (LAD) , Lupus, Lyme disease chronic, Meniere’s disease, Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) , Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) , Mucha-Habermann disease, Multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) or MMNCB, Multiple sclerosis, Myasthenia gravis, Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody disorder (MOGAD) , Myositis, Narcolepsy, Neonatal lupus, Neuromyelitis optica / devic disease, Neutropenia, Ocular cicatricial pemphigoid, Optic neuritis, Palindromic rheumatism (PR) , PANDAS (Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcus infections) , Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) , Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) , Pars planitis (peripheral uveitis) , Parsonage-Turner syndrome, Pemphigus, Peripheral neuropathy, Perivenous encephalomyelitis, Pernicious anemia (PA) , POEMS syndrome, Polyarteritis nodosa, Polyglandular syndromes type I, II, III, Polymyalgia rheumatica, Polymyositis, Postmyocardial infarction syndrome, Postpericardiotomy syndrome, Primary biliary cholangitis, Primary sclerosing cholangitis, Progesterone dermatitis, Progressive hemifacial atrophy (PHA) Parry romberg syndrome, Psoriasis, Psoriatic arthritis, Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis (PAP) , Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) , Pyoderma gangrenosum, Raynaud’s phenomenon, Reactive arthritis, Relapsing polychondritis, Restless legs syndrome (RLS) , Retroperitoneal fibrosis, Rheumatic fever, Rheumatoid arthritis, Sarcoidosis, Schmidt syndrome or Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type II, Scleritis, Scleroderma, Stiff person syndrome (SPS) , Susac’s syndrome, Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) , Takayasu’s arteritis, Temporal arteritis / giant cell arteritis, Thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) , Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (Ttp) , Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) , Tolosa-Hunt syndrome (THS) , Transverse myelitis, Type 1 diabetes, Ulcerative colitis (UC) , Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) , Uveitis, Vasculitis, Vitiligo, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease, or Warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia. In some embodiments, the autoimmune disease may be an autoimmune disease recognized as such by the Autoimmune Association Foundation (available at autoimmune. org / disease-information) .
[0055] In some embodiments, the disease or condition is organ or tissue transplant rejection. In some embodiments, the organ transplant rejection comprises rejection following transplantation of kidney, heart, lung, liver, pancreas, uterus, thymus, or small intestine. In some embodiments, the tissue transplant rejection comprises rejection following transplantation of cornea, bone, cartilage, tendon, skin, pancreatic islets, heart valves, nerves, or veins.
[0056] In some embodiments, the method for preventing or treating a cancer or autoimmune disease in a subject of the present disclosure comprises administering to the subject an effective amount of the multispecific antibody according to the third aspect, or the immunoconjugate according to the eighth aspect, or the pharmaceutical composition or the medicament or the formulation according to the ninth aspect, or the pharmaceutical combination product according to the tenth aspect, wherein the treatment of the cancer or autoimmune disease will benefit from activation of a CD3 signaling pathway and / or activation of T cells. In a more specific embodiment, the cancer or autoimmune disease is a BCMA-positive and / or CD19-positive cancer or autoimmune disease.
[0057] In some embodiments, the method for preventing or treating a cancer or autoimmune disease of the present disclosure further comprises administering in combination with an additional therapy such as a therapeutic modality (e.g., surgical therapy or radiotherapy) and / or an additional therapeutic agent (e.g., a chemotherapeutic agent, a cytokine, a cytotoxic agent, an additional antibody, a small molecule drug, or an immunomodulatory agent) .
[0058] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following detailed description and examples, which are not to be construed as limiting. The contents of all references, Genbank entries, patents, and published patent applications cited throughout the present application are expressly incorporated herein by reference.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0059] FIG. 1 shows the structural diagrams of bispecific and trispecific antibodies.
[0060] FIG. 2 shows the stability of anti-CD3 antibodies. FIGs. 2A and 2B show the binding activity of antibody Y2D5 and antibody DA023AH23L2 to CD3 proteins after 2 weeks of incubation in human serum at 37 ℃, respectively, and FIGs. 2C and 2D show the binding activity of antibody Y2D5 and antibody DA023AH23L2 to CD3 proteins after 4 weeks of incubation in human serum at 37 ℃, respectively.
[0061] FIG. 3 shows the killing activity of anti-MUC16 / CD3 bispecific antibodies MCH7-Y2D5 and MCH7-23L2 against MUC16-overexpressing cells and the induction of cytokine release. FIG. 3A shows the killing activity against 293T-huMUC16 tumor cells, and FIGs. 3B and 3C show the induced release of the cytokines IFNγ and TNFα secreted by PBMCs, respectively.
[0062] FIG. 4 shows the killing activity of trispecific antibodies H1L1 and H1L1-YD against tumor cells. FIG. 4A shows the killing activity against NCI-H929 tumor cells, and FIG. 4B shows the killing activity against Raji tumor cells.
[0063] FIG. 5 shows the induction of cytokine release after activation of T cells by trispecific antibodies H1L1 and H1L1-YD. FIGs. 5A and 5B show the induced release of the cytokine TNFα secreted by PBMCs in NCI-H929 and Raji cell killing systems, respectively.
[0064] FIG. 6 shows the killing activity of trispecific antibodies H1L1 and H1L1-YD against B cells.
[0065] FIG. 7 shows the induction of cytokine release after activation of B cells by trispecific antibodies H1L1 and H1L1-YD. FIG. 7A shows the induced release of the cytokine TNFαsecreted by PBMCs, and FIG. 7B shows the induced release of the cytokine IL-6 secreted by PBMCs.
[0066] FIG. 8 shows the changes in tumor volume in huPBMC-B-NDG mice with the human myeloma NCI-H929 cell line upon treatment with trispecific antibodies H1L1 and H1L1-YD.
[0067] FIG. 9 shows the changes in body weight of huPBMC-B-NDG mice with human myeloma NCI-H929 cell line upon treatment with trispecific antibodies H1L1 and H1L1-YD.
[0068] FIG. 10 shows the serum concentration-time profiles on a logarithmic scale measured by the antigen CD3 capture method after administration of trispecific antibodies H1L1 and H1L1-YD in rats.
[0069] FIG. 11 shows the binding activity of H1L1-YD and control antibodies to NCI-H929 cells (FIG. 11A) and Raji cells (FIG. 11B) .
[0070] FIG. 12 shows the binding activity of H1L1-YD to 293T negative cells.
[0071] FIG. 13 shows the binding activity of H1L1-YD and control antibodies to CD3+ T cells.
[0072] FIG. 14 shows the killing activity of H1L1-YD and control antibodies against NCI-H929 and MOLP-8 cells and against Raji and Nalm-6 cells and the cytokine release. FIGs. 14A and 14E show the killing activity of H1L1-YD and a control antibody against NCI-H929 cells and the cytokine release, respectively. FIGs. 14B and 14F show the killing activity of H1L1-YD and a control antibody against MOLP-8 cells and the cytokine release, respectively. FIGs. 14C and 14G show the killing activity of H1L1-YD and a control antibody against Raji cells and the cytokine release, respectively. FIGs. 14D and 14H show the killing activity of H1L1-YD and a control antibody against Nalm-6 cells and the cytokine release, respectively.
[0073] FIG. 15 shows the killing activity of H1L1-YD against 293T negative cells.
[0074] FIG. 16 shows the binding activity of H1L1-YD and control antibodies to human B cells.
[0075] FIG. 17 shows the killing activity of H1L1-YD and control antibodies against B cells in human PBMCs (FIG. 17A) and the cytokine release (FIGs. 17B and 17C) .
[0076] FIG. 18 shows the in vivo efficacy of H1L1-YD and control antibodies in an hPBMC-B-NDG mouse human Burkitt’s lymphoma Raji model. FIG. 18A shows the changes in tumor volume in mice, and FIG. 18B shows the changes in body weight of mice.
[0077] FIG. 19 shows the in vivo efficacy of H1L1-YD and control antibodies in huPBMC-B-NDG mice with human myeloma NCI-H929 cell line. FIG. 19A shows the changes in tumor volume in mice, and FIG. 19B shows the changes in body weight of mice.
[0078] FIG. 20 shows the efficacy of trispecific antibody in a KLH-induced B-hCD3EDG / hCD19 mouse delayed hypersensitivity (DTH) model. FIG. 20A shows mouse body weight, FIG. 20B shows the changes in mouse body weight, FIG. 20C shows the peripheral blood immune cell counts of mice, FIG. 20D shows the spleen immune cell counts of mice, FIG. 20E shows the level of an anti-KLH antibody IgG in mice, and FIG. 20F shows the level of an anti-KLH antibody IgM in mice.DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0079] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the particular methodology, protocols, and reagents described herein, as these may vary. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is only intended to describe specific embodiments rather than limit the scope of the present disclosure, which will be limited only by the appended claims. I. Definitions
[0080] For the purpose of explaining this specification, the following definitions will be used, and wherever appropriate, terms used in the singular form may also include the plural form, and vice versa. Unless otherwise defined, any technical and scientific term used herein has the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs.
[0081] The term “about” used in combination with a numerical value is intended to encompass the numerical values in a range from a lower limit less than the specified numerical value by 5%to an upper limit greater than the specified numerical value by 5%.
[0082] As used herein, the term “and / or” refers to any one of the options or any two or more or all of the options.
[0083] As used herein, the term “comprise” or “include” is intended to mean that the elements, integers, or steps are included, but not to the exclusion of any other elements, integers, or steps. The term “comprise” or “include” used herein, unless indicated otherwise, also encompasses the situation where the entirety consists of the described elements, integers, or steps. For example, when referring to an antibody variable region “comprising” a specific sequence, it is also intended to encompass an antibody variable region consisting of the specific sequence.
[0084] As used herein, the term “consisting of” when used in this specification, specifies the stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, and precludes additional features, steps, operations, elements and / or components.
[0085] When referring to “first” , “second” , and “third” herein, it is only to distinguish three domains or three chains, and does not indicate the location of the two domains in any way.
[0086] The term “antigen” refers to a molecule that induces an immune response. Such an immune response may involve antibody production or activation of specific immune cells, or both. Those skilled will understand that any macromolecules, including essentially all proteins or peptides, can be used as antigens. In addition, an antigen may be of recombinant or genomic DNA. As used herein, the term “epitope” refers to a portion of an antigen that specifically interacts with an antibody molecule.
[0087] As used herein, the term “anti” , “binding” , or “specific binding” means that the binding effect is selective for targets or antigens and may be distinguished from unwanted or non-specific interactions. The ability of a binding site to bind to a particular target or an antigen may be determined by flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) , or conventional binding assays known in the art, such as radioimmunoassay (RIA) , bio-layer interferometry, MSD assay, or surface plasmon resonance (SPR) .
[0088] “Affinity” or “binding affinity” refers to the inherent binding affinity that reflects the interaction between members of a binding pair. The affinity of molecule X for its partner Y may be generally represented by the dissociation constant (KD) , which is a ratio of the dissociation rate constant (Kdis) to the association rate constant (Kon) . Affinity can be measured by common methods known in the art. One specific method for measuring affinity is the ForteBio kinetic binding assay described herein.
[0089] The term “BCMA” as used herein refers to the tumor-associated antigen B cell maturation antigen, also known as BCMA, TR17_human, and TNFRSF17 (e.g., human BCMA protein under UniProt accession No. Q02223) . In one embodiment, the human BCMA protein of the present disclosure comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:68 or the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 69 without a human Fc tag, or an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity thereto. In one embodiment, an antigen-binding region binding to BCMA in the anti-BCMA antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof or the trispecific antibody of the present disclosure has high-affinity binding activity for cells expressing human BCMA, e.g., has higher binding affinity than that of a control antibody (e.g., 269B094) . In one embodiment, the assay is performed by flow cytometry.
[0090] The term “T cell antigen” as used herein refers to an antigen that is expressed on the surface of a T lymphocyte, such as a cytotoxic T lymphocyte, and is capable of inducing activation of T cells upon interaction with an antibody. For example, the interaction of the antibody with the T cell antigen may induce activation of T cells by triggering a signaling cascade of a T cell receptor complex. In one specific embodiment, the T cell antigen is CD3.
[0091] The term “CD3” as used herein refers to an antigen expressed on a T cell as part of a multimolecular T cell receptor (TCR) , i.e., a T-cell engaging antigen, T-cell surface glycoprotein CD3, which consists of a homodimer or heterodimer formed from two of the following four receptor chains: CD3-ε, CD3-δ, CD3-ζ, and CD3-γ. Human CD3-εn (hCD3ε) comprises an amino acid sequence described in UniProtKB / Swiss-Prot: P07766. Human CD3-δ (hCD3δ) comprises an amino acid sequence described in UniProtKB / Swiss-Prot: P04234. In some embodiments, the CD3 described herein refers to CD3 from a human or monkey (e.g., cynomolgus monkey) .
[0092] The term “antibody binding to CD3” or “anti-CD3 antibody” as used herein includes an antibody and an antigen-binding fragment thereof that specifically recognize or bind to a single CD3 subunit (e.g., ε, δ, γ, or ζ) , as well as an antibody and an antigen-binding fragment thereof that specifically recognize and bind to a dimeric complex of two CD3 subunits (e.g., γ / ε, δ / ε, and ζ / ζ CD3 dimers) . The antibody and the antigen-binding fragment of the present disclosure may bind to soluble CD3, binding CD3, and / or CD3 expressed on the cell surface. The soluble CD3 includes native CD3 proteins and recombinant CD3 protein variants, e.g., monomeric and dimeric CD3 structures that lack a transmembrane region or otherwise do not bind to the cell membrane. In one embodiment, the antigen-binding region binding to CD3 in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure may have relatively low binding activity to CD3 or cells expressing CD3 (e.g., T cells) . The binding affinity of the antibody to CD3 may be detected by flow cytometry or bio-layer interferometry. In some embodiments, in the trispecific antibody molecule of the present disclosure, the antigen-binding region binding to CD3 has a binding affinity of 1-1000 nM for human or monkey (cynomolgus monkey) CD3. In some embodiments, the antigen-binding region binding to CD3 in the trispecific antibody of the present disclosure binds to human and / or monkey (e.g., cynomolgus monkey) CD3 with relatively low binding affinity, thereby enabling the activation of human and / or monkey (e.g., cynomolgus monkey) T cells.
[0093] Effector cells include effector T cells (T lymphocytes) , such as CD4+ T cells, CD8+T cells, Th1, Th2, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) . The effector cells may also include natural killer cells, macrophages, granulocytes, plasma cells, or B cells (lymphocytes) .
[0094] The term “CD19” refers to a type I transmembrane glycoprotein of the immunoglobulin Ig superfamily, expressed only in B cells, also known as B cell colony-stimulating factor receptor (Cd19-cD2) and B4 (e.g., human CD19 under Uniprot accession No. P15391) . The human CD19 protein of the present disclosure comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 70, or an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity thereto.
[0095] The term “antibody” is used herein in the broadest sense to refer to a protein comprising an antigen-binding site, and encompasses a variety of antibody structures, including but not limited to monoclonal antibodies, polyclonal antibodies, bispecific antibodies, multispecific antibodies, and antibody fragments, so long as they exhibit the desired antigen-binding activity. An intact antibody typically comprises at least two full-length heavy chains and two full-length light chains, but in some cases may comprise fewer chains, for example, the naturally occurring antibodies in camels, which may comprise only heavy chains.
[0096] The terms “immunoglobulin” , “traditional antibody” , “whole antibody” , “full-length antibody” , and “intact antibody” are used interchangeably herein to refer to a glycoprotein having a structure substantially similar to a native antibody structure and comprising two full-length heavy chains (H) and two full-length light chains (L) linked to each other by disulfide bonds. Immunoglobulins may be divided into 5 classes based on the amino acid sequence of the heavy chain constant region of the immunoglobulins, i.e., IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, and IgM. Some of these classes may be further divided into subclasses, and for example, IgG may be divided into subclasses IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4, while IgA may be divided into subclasses IgA1 and IgA2. An IgG immunoglobulin is basically a heterotetrameric glycoprotein of about 150,000 Daltons consisting of two light chains and two heavy chains which are disulfide-bonded. Each heavy chain consists of a heavy chain variable region (abbreviated herein as VH) and a heavy chain constant region (abbreviated herein as CH) . The heavy chain constant region of IgG comprises three domains: CH1, CH2, and CH3, with CH1 and CH2 linked by a hinge region. Typically, the CH2 and the CH3 domains constitute the Fc region of the IgG immunoglobulin, mediating various effector functions through interaction with its receptor (FcγR) . Each light chain consists of a light chain variable region (abbreviated herein as VL) and a light chain constant region (abbreviated herein as CL) . The light chain constant region consists of one domain CL. Immunoglobulins may be divided into one of the two types, i.e., kappa (κ) and lambda (λ) , based on the amino acid sequence of the light chain constant domain of the immunoglobulins. The constant region is not directly involved in the binding of antibodies to antigens, but exhibits a variety of effector functions. In some embodiments, the antibody heavy chain constant region HC of the present disclosure is a heavy chain constant region of IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, or IgG4. In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody the heavy chain constant region is an IgG1.
[0097] Herein, antibody constant regions or antibody constant domains, including CH1, CL, and an Fc domain as well as CH2, CH3, and optional CH4 domains that constitute the Fc domain, may be selected according to the intended function of the antibody molecule. For example, the constant region may be an IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, or IgM region, particularly an immunoglobulin constant domain of human IgG, such as a constant domain of human IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, or IgG4. In some embodiments, the immunoglobulin constant domain is a constant domain of human IgG1. The immunoglobulin constant region may have a native sequence or a variant sequence. Examples of “effector functions” of immunoglobulins include: C1q binding and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) , Fc receptor binding, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) , antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) , cytokine secretion, immune complex-mediated antigen uptake in antigen-presenting cells, down-regulation of cell surface receptors (such as B-cell receptors) , and B-cell activation.
[0098] The term “Fc domain” , “Fc region” , or “Fc fragment” is used herein to define a C-terminus region of an immunoglobulin heavy chain, which comprises at least a portion of a constant region. The term includes Fc regions of native sequences and variant Fc regions. A native immunoglobulin “Fc domain” comprises two or three constant domains, i.e., a CH2 domain, a CH3 domain, and an optional CH4 domain. For example, in native antibodies, an immunoglobulin Fc domain comprises the second and the third constant domains (CH2 domain and CH3 domain) of two heavy chains of IgG, IgA, and IgD antibodies; or comprises the second, the third, and the fourth constant domains (CH2 domain, CH3 domain, and CH4 domain) of two heavy chains of IgM and IgE antibodies. Unless otherwise stated herein, amino acid residues in the Fc region or the heavy chain constant region are numbered according to the EU numbering system (also known as the EU index) as described in, for example, Edelman, G.M. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. USA, 63 (1) , 78-85 (1969) , doi: 10.1073 / pnas. 63.1.78, see also imgt. org / IMGTScientificChart / Numbering / Hu_IGHGnber. html. Herein, the term “Fc domain” , “Fc region” , or “Fc fragment” does not comprise a heavy chain variable region VH and a light chain variable region VL as well as a heavy chain constant region CH1 and a light chain constant region CL of an immunoglobulin. The Fc region may comprise a mutation that reduces binding to Fcγ receptors.
[0099] The term “IgG-like antibody” refers to an antibody comprising an Fc dimer, and correspondingly “IgG-like bi / multispecific antibody” refers to a bi / multispecific antibody comprising an Fc dimer.
[0100] The term “variable region” or “variable domain” refers to a domain of a heavy chain or light chain of an antibody involved in the binding of the antibody to an antigen. The heavy chain variable region VH and the light chain variable region VL of a natural antibody typically share a similar structure, with each domain comprising four conserved framework regions (FRs) and three complementarity determining regions (CDRs) . These regions are arranged from amino-terminus to carboxy-terminus in the following order: FR1, CDR1, FR2, CDR2, FR3, CDR3, and FR4 (see, e.g., Kindt et al., Kuby Immunology, 6th ed., W.H. Freeman and Co. 91 (2007) ) . A single VH or VL domain is sufficient to confer antigen-binding specificity.
[0101] “Complementarity determining region” or “CDR region” or “CDR” is a region in an antibody variable domain that is highly variable in sequence and forms a structurally defined loop ( “hypervariable loop” ) and / or comprises antigen-contacting residues ( “antigen contact sites” ) . CDRs are primarily responsible for binding to antigenic epitopes. The CDRs of the heavy and light chain variable regions are generally referred to as CDR1, CDR2, and CDR3, and are numbered sequentially from the N-terminus. The CDRs located in or from the antibody heavy chain variable region are referred to as “HCDRs” , e.g., HCDR1, HCDR2, and HCDR3, or H1CDR1, H1CDR2, and H1CDR3, or H2CDR1, H2CDR2, and H2CDR3, while the CDRs located in or from the antibody light chain variable region are referred to as “LCDRs” , e.g., LCDR1, LCDR2, and LCDR3, or L1CDR1, L1CDR2, and L1CDR3, or L2CDR1, L2CDR2, and L2CDR3. In a given amino acid sequence of a light chain variable region or a heavy chain variable region, the exact amino acid sequence boundary of each CDR may be determined using any one or a combination of many well-known antibody CDR assignment schemes including, e.g., Chothia based on the three-dimensional structure of antibodies and the topology of the CDR loops (Chothia et al., (1989) Nature, 342: 877-883; Al-Lazikani et al., Standard conformations for the canonical structures of immunoglobulins, Journal of Molecular Biology, 273: 927-948 (1997) ) , Kabat based on antibody sequence variability (Kabat et al., Sequences of Proteins of Immunological Interest, 4th ed., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health (1987) ) , AbM (University of Bath) , Contact (University College London) , International ImMunoGeneTics database (IMGT) (http: / / imgt. cines. fr / ) , and North CDR definition based on the affinity propagation clustering using a large number of crystal structures (North et al., A New Clustering of Antibody CDR Loop Conformations, Journal of Molecular Biology, 406: 228-256 (2011) ) . For example, different schemes are used to define different ranges for CDR regions using the Kabat and Chothia numbering systems as demonstrated in Table 1, below. Table 1: Different schemes used to define various regions of CDRs.
[0102] In the present disclosure, the term “CDR” or “CDR sequence” encompasses CDR sequences determined by any one of the schemes described above. For illustrative purposes, one of the schemes is used herein to define the CDR amino acid sequences of all antigen-binding regions in the antibody of the present disclosure, but those skilled in the art can recognize that other technical schemes used to determine the CDR amino acid sequences of an antibody are the same or equivalent technical schemes applied to the antibody of the present disclosure and are intended to be included within the protection scope of the present disclosure. CDRs may also be determined based on having the same Kabat numbering positions as a reference CDR sequence (e.g., any of the exemplary CDRs of the present disclosure) . Unless otherwise stated, in the present disclosure, residue positions of an antibody variable region (including heavy chain variable region residues and light chain variable region residues) are determined according to the Kabat numbering system (Kabat et al., Sequences of Proteins of Immunological Interest, 5th ed., Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.(1991)) .
[0103] The term “antibody fragment” or “antigen-binding fragment” refers to a molecule distinct from an intact antibody, which comprises a portion of an intact antibody and is capable of binding to an antigen or competes with an intact antibody (i.e., an intact antibody from which the antigen-binding fragment is derived) for binding to an antigen. The antigen-binding fragment may be prepared by recombinant DNA techniques, or by enzymatic or chemical cleavage of an intact antibody. The antigen-binding fragments include, but are not limited to, Fab, Fab', F (ab') 2, Fv, single-chain Fv, diabodies, and single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) .
[0104] The “Fab fragment” or “Fab” is a monovalent fragment consisting of VL, VH, CL, and CH1 domains, where one polypeptide chain comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a VH and one constant region selected from CH1 and CL, and the other polypeptide chain comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a VL and the other constant region selected from CL and CH1. The VH and VL domains are paired to form an antigen-binding site. Herein, a Fab chain comprising a heavy chain constant region CH1 is also referred to as a “Fab heavy chain” ; correspondingly, a Fab chain comprising a light chain constant region CL is also referred to as a “Fab light chain” . For example, a Fab fragment can be obtained by papain digestion of a complete antibody. In addition, the F (ab') 2, a dimer of the Fab', is a bivalent antibody fragment produced by pepsin digestion of a portion below disulfide bonds in a hinge region of a complete antibody. The F (ab') 2 can be reduced by disrupting the disulfide bonds in the hinge region under neutral conditions, and the F (ab') 2 dimer is thus converted into Fab' monomers. The Fab'monomer is substantially a Fab fragment with a hinge region (for more detailed descriptions of other antibody fragments, see Fundamental Immunology, edited by W. E. Paul, Raven Press, N.Y. (1993) ) . The Fv fragment consists of the VL and VH domains of a single arm of an antibody. In addition, although the two domains VL and VH of the Fv fragment are encoded by separate genes, the domains can be linked, using recombinant methods, via a synthetic linker peptide capable of making these two domains produced as a single protein chain in which the VL and VH regions are paired to form a single-chain Fv (scFv) . The antibody fragment can be obtained by a chemical method, a recombinant DNA method, or a protease digestion method.
[0105] The term “linker” refers to any molecule that enables direct linkage of different portions of a bispecific / multispecific antibody. Examples of linkers to establish covalent linkages between different portions of a molecule include peptide linkers and non-protein polymers including, but not limited to, polyethylene glycol (PEG) , polypropylene glycol, polyalkylene oxide, or copolymers of polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol. In some embodiments, the linker is a peptide linker (also referred to as a “linker peptide” ) and refers to a short amino acid sequence consisting of amino acids, such as glycine (G) and / or serine (S) and / or threonine (T) residues used alone or in combination, or a hinge region from an immunoglobulin, which is used for linking the amino acid sequence of a first portion of a binding molecule to a second portion of the binding molecule. In some embodiments, the peptide linker has a length sufficient to link two entities in a manner that maintains their conformation relative to each other without interference with the desired activities. In one embodiment, the linker peptide has a length of 5-50 amino acids, such as 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 amino acids. In some embodiments, the linker peptide comprises amino acid sequences (GS) n (SEQ ID NO: 138) , (GGS) n (SEQ ID NO: 139) , (GGSGG) n (SEQ ID NO: 133) , (GSGGS) n (SEQ ID NO: 134) , (GGGGS) n (SEQ ID NO: 135) , (GGGS) n (SEQ ID NO: 136) , and (GGGGS) nG (SEQ ID NO: 137) , where n is an integer equal to or greater than 1, for example, n is an integer selected from 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Useful linkers further include glycine-alanine polymers, alanine-serine polymers, and other flexible linkers. In some embodiments, the linker peptide is (GGGGS) n (SEQ ID NO: 131) , where n = 1, 2, 3, or 4. Alternatively, a computer program may be used to simulate three-dimensional structures of proteins and peptides, or a suitable flexible linker peptide is rationally designed by a phage display method.
[0106] The term “hinge region” generally refers to the portion linking the CH1 and CH2 domains in the heavy chain of a wild-type antibody, which links the Fab and Fc segments. The region is rich in proline, does not form α helices, and is prone to stretching and some degree of bending. The hinge region is typically a dimeric molecule consisting of two polypeptides with identical amino acid sequences. The hinge region typically comprises up to 25 amino acid residues and is flexible, allowing the associated target-binding sites to move independently. The hinge region of a wild-type IgG1 spans from about position 216 to about position 230 according to the EU numbering system of Kabat, or from about position 226 to about position 243 according to the EU numbering system of Kabat. The hinge region of other IgG subclasses can be determined by alignment with the cysteine residues in the hinge region of the IgG1 subclass sequence. Herein, the hinge region may be a wild-type hinge region or a portion thereof, or a mutated hinge region or a portion thereof. In one embodiment, the hinge region is, for example, a hinge region or a portion thereof (e.g., EPKSC (SEQ ID NO: 56)) of an immunoglobulin (e.g., IgG, such as IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, or IgG4) , or it is a mutated hinge region or a portion thereof (e.g., EPKSS (SEQ ID NO: 55)) .
[0107] The terms “VHH” , “VHH antibody” , “single-domain antibody” , and “single variable domain” are used interchangeably herein and generally refer to an antibody that comprises or consists of only one heavy chain variable region and has an antigen-binding activity. The VHH generally comprises three CDRs and highly-conserved 4 framework regions, and generally has a structure of the following formula: FR1-CDR-FR2-CDR2-FR3-CDR3-FR4, where FR1 to FR4 refer to framework regions 1-4, and CDR1 to CDR3 refer to complementarity determining regions 1-3. The CDR sequences in the VHH variable region may be determined according to any of the CDR definition schemes described in the “Definition” section, and the boundaries of the three CDRs in the variable region sequence may be defined according to IMGT. The VHH generally comprises only a heavy chain variable region of a heavy-chain antibody lacking a light chain, also referred to as a nanobody. The VHH used in the present disclosure may be from animals of the Camelidae family, such as an alpaca, or a humanized or sequence-optimized form thereof (e.g., an affinity-matured form to increase the binding affinity) . In some embodiments, the VHH of the present disclosure is a monovalent monospecific polypeptide molecule consisting of, or consisting essentially of, a single heavy chain variable region (e.g., a heavy chain variable region of a heavy-chain antibody) .
[0108] The term “chimeric antibody” is an antibody molecule in which: (a) a constant region or a portion thereof is modified, substituted, or exchanged such that antigen-binding sites are linked to constant regions of different or modified classes, effector functions, and / or species, or disparate molecules imparting new properties (e.g., enzymes, toxins, hormones, growth factors, and drugs) to chimeric antibodies, etc.; or (b) a constant region or a portion thereof is modified, substituted, or exchanged by variable regions with different or modified antigen-binding specificities. For example, a mouse antibody can be modified by substituting its constant region with a constant region from a human immunoglobulin. Due to the substitution with a human constant region, the chimeric antibody can retain its specificity for recognizing antigens, while having reduced immunogenicity in humans as compared to the original mouse antibody.
[0109] “Humanized antibody” is an antibody that retains the antigen-specific reactivity of a non-human antibody (such as a camelid-derived VHH antibody) and has lower immunogenicity when administered to humans as a therapeutic agent. This can be achieved, for example, by retaining non-human antigen-binding sites and substituting the remainder of the antibodies with their human counterparts (i.e., the portions of the variable regions not involved in binding are substituted with the corresponding parts of human antibodies) .
[0110] The qualifier “hybrid” in terms such as “hybrid antibody” , “hybrid scFv” , and “hybrid Fab” refers to the fact that the antibody heavy chain variable region and the light chain variable region in the corresponding antibody, scFv, or Fab are of the heavy chain variable region and the light chain variable region of an antibody, scFv, or Fab against different targets, respectively.
[0111] As used herein, the term “bispecific” antibody refers to an antibody having two antigen-binding regions, where each antigen-binding site binds to a different epitope of the same antigen or a different epitope of a different antigen. In one embodiment, provided herein is a bispecific antibody having binding specificities for a first antigen and a second antigen. For example, the present disclosure provides a bispecific antibody against MUC16 and CD3.
[0112] The term “bispecific binding molecule” , “bispecific antibody” , or “BsAb” refers to a bispecific binding molecule comprising at least a BsAb first antigen-binding region and a BsAb second antigen-binding region, where each antigen-binding region binds to a different antigen.
[0113] As used herein, the term “multispecific” antibody refers to an antibody having at least three antigen-binding regions, in which each antigen-binding site binds to a different epitope of the same antigen or a different epitope of a different antigen. The multispecific antibody is an antibody having binding specificities for at least three different antigen epitopes. In one embodiment, provided herein is a trispecific antibody having binding specificities for a first antigen, a second antigen, and a third antigen. For example, the present disclosure provides a trispecific antibody against BCMA, CD19, and CD3.
[0114] The term “multispecific binding molecule” or “multispecific antibody” refers to a multispecific binding molecule with at least three specificities, e.g., a trispecific binding molecule (also referred to as a trispecific antibody or “TsAb” ) , i.e., the molecule comprises at least a TsAb first antigen-binding region, a TsAb second antigen-binding region, and a TsAb third antigen-binding region, where each antigen-binding region binds to a different antigen.
[0115] When referring to “first” , “second” , and “third” herein, it is solely to distinguish between different domains or different chains, and does not indicate the location of these domains in any way.
[0116] The term “antigen-binding region” as used herein refers to a portion of a multispecific binding molecule that binds to a particular antigen. The antigen-binding region may be, for example, an antibody or immunoglobulin per se or an antibody fragment. Such antigen-binding region may or may not have a tertiary structure independent of the remainder of the multispecific antibody molecule, and may or may not bind to its antigen as a separate entity. In one embodiment, the antigen-binding region used in the multispecific antibody molecule of the present disclosure comprises a VH / VL pair consisting of a light chain variable region (VL) and a heavy chain variable region (VH) of the antibody, and the VH / VL pair may be contained in a single polypeptide chain (e.g., scFv) or in two separate polypeptide chains (e.g., contained in a Fab heavy chain and a Fab light chain, respectively) . In one embodiment, the antigen-binding region used in the multispecific antibody molecule of the present disclosure may be a Fab. In one embodiment, the antigen-binding region used in the multispecific antibody molecule of the present disclosure may comprise only a VH, e.g., of a VHH, or be a VHH. When referring to, for example, “antigen-binding region” in a bispecific antibody or multispecific antibody, it refers to a binding region that binds to the antigen, and is not intended to limit the number of such antigen-binding regions contained in the antibody. For example, a bispecific antibody comprises a BsAb first antigen-binding region and a BsAb second antigen-binding region, but may comprise one or more than one BsAb first antigen-binding region and one or more than one BsAb second antigen-binding region; and a trispecific antibody comprises a TsAb first antigen-binding region, a TsAb second antigen-binding region, and a TsAb third antigen-binding region, but may comprise one or more than one first antigen-binding region, one or more than one second antigen-binding region, and one or more than one third antigen-binding region. In some embodiments, the bispecific antibody molecule of the present disclosure comprises at least one antigen-binding region specifically binding to MUC16 and at least one antigen-binding region specifically binding to CD3. In some specific embodiments, the bispecific antibody molecule of the present disclosure comprises one antigen-binding region specifically binding to MUC16 and one antigen-binding region specifically binding to CD3. In some embodiments, the trispecific antibody molecule of the present disclosure comprises at least one antigen-binding region specifically binding to CD19, at least one antigen-binding region specifically binding to BCMA, and at least one antigen-binding region specifically binding to CD3. In some embodiments, the trispecific antibody molecule of the present disclosure comprises one antigen-binding region specifically binding to CD19, one antigen-binding region specifically binding to BCMA, and one antigen-binding region specifically binding to CD3.
[0117] When referring to “CD3 heavy / light chain variable region” , it refers to the heavy / light chain variable region of an antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof specifically binding to CD3.
[0118] When referring to “TAA heavy / light chain variable region” , it refers to the heavy / light chain variable region of an antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof specifically binding to the TAA target. For example, “MUC16 heavy chain variable region” refers to the heavy chain variable region of an antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof specifically binding to MUC16.
[0119] “MUC16 light chain variable region” refers to the light chain variable region of an antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof specifically binding to MUC16; “CD19 heavy chain variable region” refers to the heavy chain variable region of an antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof specifically binding to CD19; and “CD19 light chain variable region” refers to the light chain variable region of an antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof specifically binding to CD19.
[0120] When referring to an “antigen-binding region of an antibody” , it means that the binding domain constituting the antigen-binding region is or is of the binding domain of the antibody that specifically binds to the antigen. For example, a fragment of the antigen-binding region that specifically binds to the antigen, e.g., a Fab, is or is of a corresponding fragment of the antibody, e.g., a Fab; or the heavy chain variable region and / or the light chain variable region of the antigen-binding region is or is of the heavy chain variable region and / or the light chain variable region of the antibody; or 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 CDRs of the antigen-binding region are the CDRs of the antibody. The term “derived from” means that the fragment in the antigen-binding region is substantially identical to the fragment of the antibody from which it is derived, but has a mutation, such as a substitution, deletion, or addition, at one or more sites. In one specific embodiment, the mutation is not in the CDR of the antibody. In one specific embodiment, the mutation is not in the variable region of the antibody.
[0121] The “percent identity (%) ” of an amino acid sequence refers to the percentage of amino acid residues in a candidate sequence that are the same as those of a specific amino acid sequence shown in this specification when aligning the candidate sequence with the specific amino acid sequence shown in this specification, with gaps introduced if necessary to achieve maximum percent sequence identity and without considering any conservative replacements as part of sequence identity. In some embodiments, the present disclosure considers variants of the antibody molecule of the present disclosure that have a considerable degree of identity to the antibody molecule and sequence thereof specifically disclosed herein. For example, the identity is at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or higher. The variants may comprise conservative changes, or be conservatively modified variants.
[0122] For polypeptide sequences, “conservative changes” include replacements of, deletions of, or additions to a polypeptide sequence that do not substantially change the desired functional activity of the polypeptide sequence. For example, conservative replacements often result in the replacement of an amino acid with a chemically similar amino acid. Conservative replacement tables providing functionally similar amino acids are well known in the art. 8 groups comprising amino acids that are conservatively substituted with each other are listed as follows: 1) alanine (A) and glycine (G) ; 2) aspartic acid (D) and glutamic acid (E) ; 3) asparagine (N) and glutamine (Q) ; 4) arginine (R) and lysine (K) ; 5) isoleucine (I) , leucine (L) , methionine (M) , and valine (V) ; 6) phenylalanine (F) , tyrosine (Y) , and tryptophan (W) ; 7) serine (S) and threonine (T) ; and 8) cysteine (C) and methionine (M) . In some embodiments, the term “conservative sequence change” is used to refer to an amino acid modification that does not significantly affect or change the binding characteristics for an antigen of interest of the antibody molecule or binding protein molecule of the present disclosure comprising the amino acid sequence. For example, conservatively modified variants retain at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 98%, 99%, or higher, such as 100%-110%or higher, binding affinity for an antigen of interest relative to the parent antibody or binding protein.
[0123] The term “host cell” refers to a cell into which an exogenous polynucleotide has been introduced, including the progeny of such cells. Host cells include “transformants” and “transformed cells” , which include primary transformed cells and progeny derived therefrom. Host cells are any type of cell system that may be used to produce the antibody molecule of the present disclosure, including eukaryotic cells, e.g., mammalian cells, insect cells, and yeast cells; and prokaryotic cells, e.g., E. coli cells. Host cells include cultured cells, as well as cells within a transgenic animal, a transgenic plant, or a cultured plant tissue or an animal tissue.
[0124] The term “vector” used herein refers to a nucleic acid molecule capable of proliferating another nucleic acid to which it is linked. The term includes vectors that serve as self-replicating nucleic acid structures as well as vectors binding to the genome of a host cell into which they have been introduced. The term “expression vector” refers to a vector comprising a recombinant polynucleotide, which comprises an expression control sequence effectively linked to a nucleotide sequence to be expressed. Expression vectors contain sufficient cis-regulatory elements for expression, and other elements for expression may be provided by a host cell or in an in vitro expression system. Expression vectors include all those known in the art, including cosmids, plasmids (e.g., naked or contained in liposomes) , and viruses (e.g., lentiviruses, retroviruses, adenoviruses, and adeno-associated viruses) incorporated into recombinant polynucleotides.
[0125] The terms “polynucleotide” and “nucleic acid” interchangeably refer to chains of nucleotides of any length, and include DNA and RNA. The nucleotides can be deoxyribonucleotides, ribonucleotides, modified nucleotides or bases, and / or their analogs, or any substrate that can be incorporated into a chain by DNA or RNA polymerase. A polynucleotide may comprise modified nucleotides, such as methylated nucleotides and their analogs. Examples of polynucleotides contemplated herein include single-and double-stranded DNA, single-and double-stranded RNA, and hybrid molecules having mixtures of single-and double-stranded DNA and RNA.
[0126] The terms “individual” and “subject” are used interchangeably and refer to a mammal. The mammals include, but are not limited to, domesticated animals (e.g., cows, sheep, cats, dogs, and horses) , primates (e.g., human and non-human primates such as monkeys) , rabbits, and rodents (e.g., mice and rats) . In particular, individuals are humans.
[0127] The term “treatment” (or “treat” or “treating” ) refers to slowing, interrupting, arresting, alleviating, stopping, lowering, or reversing the onset of symptoms, complications, or biochemical indications of a disease, or alleviating symptoms, or arresting or inhibiting the further progression of the disease, symptom, or disorder.
[0128] The term “prevention” (or “prevent” or “preventing” ) includes the inhibition of the development or progression of symptoms of a disease or disorder, or a specific disease or disorder. In some embodiments, subjects with a family history of cancer are candidates for preventive regimens. Generally, in the context of cancer, the term “prevention” refers to the administration of a drug prior to the onset of signs or symptoms of cancer, particularly in subjects at risk of cancer.
[0129] The term “therapeutic agent” described herein encompasses any substance that is effective in preventing or treating a tumor (e.g., cancer) or autoimmune disease, including a chemotherapeutic agent, a cytokine, a cytotoxic agent, an additional antibody, a small molecule drug, or an immunomodulatory agent (e.g., an immunosuppressant) .
[0130] The term “cytotoxic agent” used herein refers to a substance that inhibits or prevents cell functions and / or causes cell death or cell destruction.
[0131] “Chemotherapeutic agent” includes chemical compounds useful in the treatment of cancers or immune system diseases.
[0132] The term “small molecule drug” refers to a low molecular weight organic compound capable of regulating biological processes. “Small molecule” is defined as a molecule with a molecular weight of less than 10 kD, usually less than 2 kD, in some instances less than 1 kD. Small molecules include but is not limited to inorganic molecules, organic molecules, organic molecules containing inorganic components, molecules containing radioactive atoms, synthetic molecules, peptide mimetics, and antibody mimetics. As therapeutic agents, small molecules generally penetrate cells better, are less susceptible to degradation, and are less likely to induce an immune response compared to large molecules.
[0133] The term “immunomodulatory agent” used herein refers to a natural or synthetic active agent or drug that suppresses or modulates an immune response. The immune response may be a humoral response or a cellular response. The immunomodulatory agent includes an immunosuppressant. In some embodiments, the immunomodulatory agent of the present disclosure includes an immune checkpoint inhibitor or an immune checkpoint agonist.
[0134] The term “effective amount” refers to an amount or dosage of the antibody, fragment, composition, or combination of the present disclosure which generates expected effects in a patient in need of treatment or prevention after being administered to the patient in a single dose or multiple doses.
[0135] The term “therapeutically effective amount” refers to an amount effective to achieve a desired therapeutic result at a necessary dose for a necessary period of time. The therapeutically effective amount is also such an amount that any toxic or adverse effect of the antibody, fragment thereof, composition, or combination is inferior to the therapeutically beneficial effect. The “therapeutically effective amount” inhibits a measurable parameter or improves a measurable parameter by at least about 40% (e.g., by at least about 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, or even 100%) , relative to untreated subjects.
[0136] The term “prophylactically effective amount” refers to an amount effective to achieve a desired prophylactic result at a necessary dose for a necessary period of time. Generally, since a prophylactic dose is administered in a subject before or at an earlier stage of a disease, a prophylactically effective amount will be less than a therapeutically effective amount.
[0137] The term “tumor” refers to all neoplastic cell growth and proliferation, whether malignant or benign, and all pre-cancerous and cancerous cells and tissues. The terms “cancer” , “carcinoma” , and “tumor” are not mutually exclusive when referred to herein. The term “tumor” encompasses both solid tumors and hematological tumors.
[0138] The term “anti-tumor effect” or “tumor inhibitory effect” refers to a biological effect that can be demonstrated by a variety of means, including but not limited to, for example, decrease in tumor volume, decrease in the number of tumor cells, decrease in tumor cell proliferation, or decrease in tumor cell viability.
[0139] The term “autoimmune disease” or “autoimmune disorder” refers to a disorder in which immune system cells inappropriately or undesirably trigger an immune reaction against the body's own cells, tissues, and / or organs, resulting in damage to these cells, tissues, and / or organs. The immune reaction may be mediated by either humoral immune response or cellular immune response. The autoimmune disease may be an inflammatory disease or a non-inflammatory disease, and may include, for example, skin diseases, ophthalmic diseases, renal diseases, hematological diseases, neurological diseases, orthopedic diseases, digestive diseases, respiratory diseases, and the like. Non-limiting examples of the autoimmune disease include idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, hemolytic anemia, systemic lupus erythematosus, lupus nephritis, rheumatic diseases, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) , multiple sclerosis (MS) , immune-mediated or type 1 diabetes, immune-mediated glomerulonephritis such as membranous nephropathy (PLA2R-positive or THSD7A-positive) , scleroderma / systemic sclerosis (SSc) , blood diseases, aplastic anemia, pernicious anemia, ophthalmic diseases, optic neuritis, alopecia, pemphigus, pemphigus vulgaris, myasthenia gravis, inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn’s disease, psoriasis, autoimmune thyroid diseases, Hashimoto’s disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, dermatomyositis, Goodpasture’s syndrome, pseudoparalytic myasthenia gravis, phakogene uveitis, chronic aggressive hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, vitiligo vulgaris, vitiligo, Behcet’s syndrome, collagen diseases, uveitis, Sjogren’s syndrome, autoimmune myocarditis, autoimmune liver diseases, autoimmune gastritis, pemphigus, Guillain-Barre syndrome, HTLV-1-related myelopathy, and the like as described elsewhere in this disclosure.
[0140] The terms “pharmaceutical supplementary material” or “pharmaceutically acceptable excipient” refer to diluents, adjuvants (e.g., Freund’s adjuvants (complete and incomplete)) , carriers, stabilizers, or the like, that are administered with the active substance.
[0141] The term “pharmaceutical composition” refers to a composition that exists in a form allowing effective biological activity of the active ingredient contained therein and does not contain additional ingredients having unacceptable toxicity to a subject to which the composition is administered.
[0142] The term “pharmaceutical combination or combination product” refers to a non-fixed combination product or a fixed combination product, including but not limited to, a kit and a pharmaceutical composition. The term “non-fixed combination” means that the active ingredients (e.g., (i) the antibody or the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, and (ii) an additional therapeutic agent) are administered, either simultaneously or sequentially (without specific time limitation or at identical or different time intervals) , to a patient as separate entities, where such administration provides two or more prophylactically or therapeutically effective active agents in the patient.
[0143] The term “fixed combination” means that two or more active agents are administered to a patient simultaneously in the form of a single entity. The dose and / or time intervals of two or more active agents are selected such that the combined use of the components can result in a therapeutic effect on the disease or disorder greater than that achieved by the use of either component alone. The ingredients may each take a separate formulation form and such separate formulation forms may be the same or different.
[0144] The term “combination therapy” refers to the administration of two or more therapeutic agents or modalities (e.g., radiotherapy or surgery) to treat the diseases as described herein. Such administration includes co-administration of these therapeutic agents in a substantially simultaneous manner, for example, in a single capsule with a fixed proportion of active ingredients. Alternatively, such administration includes co-administration of the active ingredients in a variety of or separate containers (such as tablets, capsules, powder, and liquid) . The powder and / or liquid may be reconstituted or diluted to a desired dose before administration. In addition, such administration further includes using each type of the therapeutic agents at approximately the same time or in a sequential manner at different times. In any case, the therapeutic regimen will provide the beneficial effect of the pharmaceutical combination in the treatment of disorders or symptoms described herein.
[0145] “Subject / patient / individual sample” refers to a collection of cells or fluids obtained from a patient or a subject. The source of tissue or cell samples can be solid tissues, e.g., from fresh, frozen, and / or preserved organ or tissue samples or biopsy samples or puncture samples; blood or any blood component; body fluids such as tears, vitreous humors, cerebrospinal fluids, amniotic fluids, peritoneal fluids, or interstitial fluids; and cells from a subject at any time during pregnancy or development. In some embodiments, the tissue sample is a tumor tissue. Tissue samples may comprise compounds that are naturally not mixed with tissues, such as preservatives, anticoagulants, buffers, fixatives, nutrients, and antibiotics. II. Antibody or Antigen Binding Fragment Thereof Specifically Binding to CD3
[0146] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof specifically binding to CD3, which exhibits a lower level of non-specific binding, and induces a lower level of cytokine release when used in a bi / multispecific antibody molecule while maintaining a binding affinity for CD3E &D proteins.
[0147] In some embodiments, the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof binding to CD3 of the present disclosure comprises a heavy chain variable region (VH) comprising complementarity determining regions HCDR1, HCDR2, and HCDR3, and a light chain variable region (VL) comprising complementarity determining regions LCDR1, LCDR2, and LCDR3. In the heavy chain variable region: the HCDR1 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 (TYAMN) , the HCDR2 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2 (RIRSKYNNYX1TYYADSVKD) , and the HCDR3 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 3 (HX2NFGNSYVSWFAX3) ; wherein X1, X2, and X3 are any amino acid, and at least two of them are D or E, respectively.
[0148] In some embodiments, X1 is D, E, A, or Q; X2 is D, E, G, or I; X3 is D, E, Y, or F; and at least two of X1, X2, and X3 are D or E, respectively. In some embodiments, X1, X2, and X3 are D or E, respectively. Illustratively, X1, X2, and X3 are shown in Table 2, below. Table 2: Single point amino acid mutations of HCDR2 and HCDR3.
[0149] In the light chain variable region: the LCDR1 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4 (RSSTGAVTTSNYAN) ; the LCDR2 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5 (GTNKRAP) ; and the LCDR3 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6 (ALWYSNLWV) .
[0150] In some embodiments, in the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof binding to CD3 of the present disclosure, the CD3 heavy chain variable region comprises or consists of a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 9 and 80-90, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 9 and 80-90, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 9 and 80-90, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region.
[0151] In some embodiments, in the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof binding to CD3 of the present disclosure, the CD3 light chain variable region comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region.
[0152] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the amino acid change of the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof binding to CD3 described herein includes amino acid replacements, insertions, or deletions. In a preferred embodiment, the amino acid change described herein occurs in a region outside the CDR (e.g., in FR) . More preferably, the amino acid change described herein occurs in a region outside the heavy chain variable region and / or outside the light chain variable region. Preferably, the amino acid change described herein is an amino acid replacement, preferably a conservative replacement.
[0153] In some embodiments, the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof binding to CD3 of the present disclosure has one or more of the following properties: (i) showing the same or similar binding affinity and / or specificity for CD3 as the antibody of the present disclosure; (ii) inhibiting (e.g., competitively inhibiting) the binding of the antibody of the present disclosure to CD3; (iii) binding to the same or overlapping epitope as the antibody of the present disclosure; (iv) competing with the antibody of the present disclosure for binding to CD3; and (v) having one or more biological properties of the antibody of the present disclosure.
[0154] In some embodiments, the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof binding to CD3 of the present disclosure is an antibody in the form of IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, or IgG4, for example, an antibody in the form of IgG1.
[0155] In one embodiment, the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof binding to CD3 of the present disclosure also encompasses an antibody fragment (e.g., an antigen-binding fragment) thereof. For example, an antibody fragment selected from: a Fab, a Fab', a Fab'-SH, an Fv, a single-chain antibody (e.g., scFv) , a (Fab') 2, a single-domain antibody (e.g., VHH) , a domain antibody (dAb) , or a linear antibody.
[0156] In some embodiments, the light chain constant region of the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof binding to CD3 of the present disclosure is a lambda or kappa light chain constant region, e.g., a Kappa light chain constant region.
[0157] In some embodiments, the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof binding to CD3 of the present disclosure is a Fab fragment and further comprises a heavy chain constant region CH1 and a light chain constant region CL. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof binding to CD3 of the present disclosure is in the form of a Fab and comprises a Fab heavy chain and a Fab light chain. In some specific embodiments, the Fab heavy chain of the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof binding to CD3: (i) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NOs: 12 and 102-112; (ii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NOs: 12 and 102-112; or (iii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10 or 10, and more preferably no more than 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) amino acid changes (preferably amino acid replacements, and more preferably conservative amino acid replacements) compared to an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NOs: 12 and 102-112; and has the same CDR sequences as SEQ ID NOs: 12 and 102-112.
[0158] In some specific embodiments, the Fab light chain of the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof binding to CD3: (i) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13; (ii) comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13; or (iii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10 or 10, and more preferably no more than 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) amino acid changes (preferably amino acid replacements, and more preferably conservative amino acid replacements) compared to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13; and has the same CDR sequence as SEQ ID NO: 13.
[0159] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof binding to CD3 of the present disclosure is in the form of an scFv and comprises the CD3 heavy chain variable region and the CD3 light chain variable region as described above. In some specific embodiments, the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof in the scFv form comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a CD3 heavy chain variable region, a linker (e.g., a linker peptide) / hinge region, and a CD3 light chain variable region, and optionally comprises a glycine at the C-terminus of the light chain variable region. In some embodiments, the linker peptide is (GGSGG) n (SEQ ID NO: 133) or (GGGGS) n (SEQ ID NO: 131) , where n = 1, 2, 3, or 4. In some embodiments, the linker peptide is selected from the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 50-54. In some embodiments, the hinge region is selected from the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 55 or 56.
[0160] In some specific embodiments, the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof in the scFv form comprises or consists of a sequence set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 11 and 91-101, comprises or consists of a sequence having at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or more sequence identity to a sequence set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 11 and 91-101, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10 or 10, and more preferably no more than 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) amino acid changes (preferably amino acid replacements, and more preferably conservative amino acid replacements) compared to an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NOs: 11 and 91-101; and has the same CDR sequences as SEQ ID NOs: 11 and 91-101. III. Bi / multispecific antibodies
[0161] The present disclosure provides a bi / multispecific antibody that can bind to CD3, which comprises or consists of the full-length antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof binding to CD3 of the present disclosure as long as it is capable of specifically binding to CD3, including, but not limited to, a full-length antibody, a single-chain Fv (scFv) , a Fab, a Fab', a (Fab) 2, a single-domain antibody, a VHH, a heavy-chain antibody, or the like specifically binding to CD3. In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure may binds to the CD3 subunits ε and δ.
[0162] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a bispecific antibody comprising a BsAb first antigen-binding region and a BsAb second antigen-binding region, wherein the BsAb first antigen-binding region specifically binds to CD3, and the BsAb second antigen-binding region specifically binds to a tumor-associated antigen, e.g., specifically binds to a tumor-associated antigen such as MUC16, GPRC5D, BCMA, PSMA, DLL3, CD19, EGFR, CD20, and CLDN18.2.
[0163] The BsAb second antigen-binding region suitable for use in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure may be a full-length antibody, a single-chain Fv, a Fab, a Fab', a (Fab) 2, a single-domain antibody, a VHH, a heavy-chain antibody, or the like.
[0164] In one embodiment, the bispecific antibody may comprise one or more BsAb first antigen-binding regions and one or more BsAb second antigen-binding regions. In some exemplary embodiments, in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the BsAb first antigen-binding region specifically binds to CD3, and the BsAb second antigen-binding region specifically binds to MUC16.
[0165] The BsAb second antigen-binding region suitable for use in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure may comprise or consist of the anti-MUC16 full-length antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof of the present disclosure as long as it is capable of specifically binding to MUC16, including, but not limited to, for example, a full-length antibody, a single-chain Fv, a Fab, a Fab', a (Fab) 2, a single-domain antibody, a VHH, a heavy-chain antibody, or the like specifically binding to MUC16. In some embodiments, the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure is an IgG-like bispecific antibody.
[0166] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a trispecific antibody comprising a TsAb first antigen-binding region (e.g., CD3 binding domain) , a TsAb second antigen-binding region (e.g., CD19 binding domain) , and a TsAb third antigen-binding region (e.g., BCMA binding domain) , wherein the TsAb first antigen-binding region specifically binds to CD3, the TsAb second antigen-binding region and the TsAb third antigen-binding region each specifically bind to different tumor-associated antigens, e.g., specifically bind to a tumor-associated antigen such as MUC16, GPRC5D, BCMA, PSMA, DLL3, CD19, EGFR, CD20, and CLDN18.2. The TsAb second antigen-binding region suitable for use in the trispecific antibody of the present disclosure may be a full-length antibody, a single-chain Fv, a Fab, a Fab', a (Fab) 2, a single-domain antibody, a VHH, a heavy-chain antibody, or the like. The TsAb third antigen-binding region suitable for use in the trispecific antibody of the present disclosure may be a full-length antibody, a single-chain Fv, a Fab, a Fab', a (Fab) 2, a single-domain antibody, a VHH, a heavy-chain antibody, or the like.
[0167] In some exemplary embodiments, in the trispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the TsAb first antigen-binding region specifically binds to CD3, the TsAb second antigen-binding region specifically binds to CD19, and the TsAb third antigen-binding region specifically binds to BCMA. In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2, and an CDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 3, wherein X1, X2, and X3 are any amino acid and at least two of them are D or E, respectively, and a CD3 light chain variable region including an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6, a CD19 binding domain, and a BCMA binding domain. In some embodiments, the HCDR2 comprises any one of SEQ ID NOs: 7, 44, 71, or 72. In some embodiments, the HCDR3 comprises any one of SEQ ID NOs: 8, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, or 79.
[0168] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 8, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6, a CD19 binding domain, and a BCMA binding domain.
[0169] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 8, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6, a CD19 binding domain, and a BCMA binding domain.
[0170] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 73, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6, a CD19 binding domain, and a BCMA binding domain.
[0171] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 74, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6, a CD19 binding domain, and a BCMA binding domain.
[0172] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 75, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6, a CD19 binding domain, and a BCMA binding domain.
[0173] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 73, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6, a CD19 binding domain, and a BCMA binding domain.
[0174] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 76, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6, a CD19 binding domain, and a BCMA binding domain.
[0175] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 77, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6, a CD19 binding domain, and a BCMA binding domain.
[0176] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 44, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 73, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6, a CD19 binding domain, and a BCMA binding domain.
[0177] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 78, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6, a CD19 binding domain, and a BCMA binding domain.
[0178] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 79, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6, a CD19 binding domain, and a BCMA binding domain.
[0179] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 72, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 73 and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6, a CD19 binding domain, and a BCMA binding domain.
[0180] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure comprises a CD3 heavy chain variable region comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 9 or 80-90 and a CD3 light chain variable region amino acid sequence comprising at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10. In some embodiments, the CD3 heavy chain variable region comprising an amino acid sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 9 or 80-90; and the CD3 light chain variable region comprising an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10.
[0181] In some embodiments, the TsAb second antigen-binding region suitable for use in the trispecific antibody of the present disclosure is of an anti-CD19 antibody, for example, an FMC63 antibody or a humanized antibody thereof, e.g., the humanized anti-CD19 antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof disclosed in WO 2018161017 A1, such as a Fab fragment of the anti-CD19 antibody or an scFv fragment of the anti-CD19 antibody.
[0182] In some embodiments, the CD19 binding domain comprises a heavy chain variable region comprising: an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, SEQ ID NO: 33, and SEQ ID NO: 34, respectively, or an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, SEQ ID NO: 33, and SEQ ID NO: 34, respectively, or the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, or an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31; and a CD19 light chain variable region comprising: an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 36, SEQ ID NO: 37, and SEQ ID NO: 38, respectively, or an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 36, SEQ ID NO: 37, and SEQ ID NO: 38, respectively, or the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35, or (v) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35.
[0183] In some embodiments, the CD19 binding domain comprises a CD19 heavy chain variable region comprising an HCDR1, an HCDR3, and an HCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, , SEQ ID NO: 33, and SEQ ID NO: 34, respectively, and a CD19 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 36, SEQ ID NO: 37, and SEQ ID NO: 38, respectively.
[0184] In some embodiments, the CD19 binding domain comprises a CD19 heavy chain variable region comprising an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, SEQ ID NO: 33, and SEQ ID NO: 34, respectively, and a CD19 light chain variable region comprising an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 36, SEQ ID NO: 37, and SEQ ID NO: 38, respectively.
[0185] In some embodiments, the CD19 binding domain comprises a CD19 heavy chain variable region comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31 and a CD19 light chain variable region comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35. In some embodiments, the CD19 binding domain comprises a CD19 heavy chain variable region comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31 and a CD19 light chain variable region comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35.
[0186] In some embodiments, in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the CD3 binding domain may be a Fab or scFv and / or the CD19 binding domain is a Fab or scFv. In some embodiments, in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the CD3 binding domain may be a Fab and the CD19 binding domain is a Fab. In some embodiments, in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the CD3 binding domain may be a scFv and the CD19 binding domain is a scFv. In some embodiments, when the CD3 binding domain and / or the CD19 binding domain is a Fab, wherein a heavy chain of the Fab comprises a CH1, wherein the CH1 is a CH1 from IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, or IgG4; and a light chain of the Fab comprises a CL. In some embodiments, the CD3 binding domain is a scFv, the CD19 binding domain is a Fab, and the BCMA binding domain is a VHH.
[0187] In some embodiments, the TsAb third antigen-binding region suitable for use in the trispecific antibody of the present disclosure may comprise or consist of an anti-BCMA VHH as long as it is capable of specifically binding to BCMA, including, but not limited to, a full-length antibody, a single-chain Fv, a Fab, a Fab', a (Fab) 2, a single-domain antibody, a VHH, or a heavy-chain antibody, or the like specifically binding to BCMA. For example, the third antigen-binding region is the VHH of the anti-BCMA described herein. In some embodiments, the trispecific antibody of the present disclosure is an IgG-like antibody.
[0188] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure may comprise the BCMA binding domain. The BCMA binding domain may be a BCMA VHH that binds specifically to BCMA, wherein the BCMA VHH comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 (i) comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 28, SEQ ID NO: 29, and SEQ ID NO: 30, respectively. In some embodiments the BCMA VHH comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 28, SEQ ID NO: 29, and SEQ ID NO: 30, respectively. In some embodiments, the BCMA VHH comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27. In some embodiments, the BCMA VHH comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27.
[0189] In one embodiment, the trispecific antibody may comprise one or more TsAb first antigen-binding regions, one or more TsAb second antigen-binding regions, and one or more TsAb third antigen-binding regions. In one embodiment, the trispecific antibody comprises one TsAb first antigen-binding region, one TsAb second antigen-binding region, and one TsAb third antigen-binding region. In some embodiments, the TsAb first antigen-binding region specifically binding to CD3 is selected from scFv or Fab, the TsAb second antigen-binding region specifically binding to CD19 is selected from scFv or Fab, and the TsAb third antigen-binding region specifically binding to BCMA is a VHH.
[0190] In the bi / multispecific antibodies of the present disclosure, different domains of the same antigen-binding region (e.g., various variable region domains and constant region domains) or different antigen-binding regions are linked directly or via a linker (e.g., a linker peptide) or a hinge region. In the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, domains of different antigen-binding regions (e.g., various variable region domains and constant region domains) are linked directly or via a linker (e.g., a linker peptide) or a hinge region. In some embodiments, the linker peptide is (GGSGG) n (SEQ ID NO: 133) or (GGGGS) n (SEQ ID NO: 131) , where n = 1, 2, 3, or 4. In some embodiments, the linker peptide is selected from the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 50-54. In some embodiments, the hinge region is selected from the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 55 or 56.
[0191] It is well-established that CD3 bispecific / multispecific antibodies may cause T cell overactivation, which may lead to adverse effects such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS) , commonly referred to as a cytokine storm. See, PCT publication WO / 2023 / 131328. Particularly, the inventors of the present disclosure found that when constructing bispecific antibodies / multispecific antibodies using an antibody binding to CD3, in particular the anti-CD3 antibody of the present disclosure, bispecific antibodies / multispecific antibodies obtained by directly linking the N-terminus of the heavy chain of a first antigen-binding region in the Fab or scFv form of a CD3-binding antibody to the C-terminus of the heavy chain CH1 region (comprising a hinge region that can form a disulfide bond) of an additional antigen-binding region in the Fab form have better safety, wherein the hinge region at the C-terminus of the CH1 region can form a disulfide bond. For the purpose of this application, “better safety” or “safety” refers to the absence of, or minimal adverse effects resulting from, T cell overactivation following the administration of a multispecific antibody disclosed herein. Such adverse effects may include, but are not limited to, cytokine release syndrome (CRS) , as discussed in PCT publication WO / 2023 / 131328. In the most preferred embodiment, the bispecific antibody / multispecific antibody of the present disclosure comprises a first antigen-binding region in the Fab or scFv form of a CD3-binding antibody and an additional antigen-binding region in the Fab form, and the C-terminus of the heavy chain CH1 region of the additional antigen-binding region is the hinge region EPKSC (SEQ ID NO: 56) and is directly linked to the N-terminus of the heavy chain of the first antigen-binding region. In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the bi / trispecific antibodies of the present disclosure have the structures shown in FIGs. 1A-E.
[0192] In some embodiments, the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure has a structure, e.g., shown in FIG. 1A, wherein the BsAb first antigen-binding region is an scFv and is linked at its C-terminus to the N-terminus of one Fc polypeptide in the Fc domain, and the BsAb second antigen-binding region is a Fab and is fused at the C-terminus of its Fab heavy chain to the N-terminus of the other Fc polypeptide in the Fc domain.
[0193] More specifically, the structure shown in FIG. 1A comprises: (1) a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BsAb first antigen-binding region and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) , wherein the BsAb first antigen-binding region is an scFv; (2) a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the BsAb second antigen-binding region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; and (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the BsAb second antigen-binding region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , wherein the Fc region in the chain 1 and the Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer.
[0194] In other embodiments, the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure has a structure, e.g., shown in FIG. 1B, wherein the BsAb first antigen-binding region is an scFv and is linked at its C-terminus to the N-terminus of one Fc polypeptide in the Fc domain, and the BsAb second antigen-binding region has two Fabs. The C-terminus of one Fab heavy chain of the BsAb second antigen-binding region is linked to the N-terminus of the other Fc polypeptide in the Fc domain, and the C-terminus of the other Fab heavy chain of the BsAb second antigen-binding region is linked to the N-terminus of the BsAb first antigen-binding region.
[0195] More specifically, the structure shown in FIG. 1B comprises: (1) a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the BsAb second antigen-binding region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; (2) a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the BsAb second antigen-binding region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , the BsAb first antigen-binding region, and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) , wherein the BsAb first antigen-binding region is an scFv; (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the BsAb second antigen-binding region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) ; and (4) a chain 4: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the BsAb second antigen-binding region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , wherein the Fc region in the chain 1 and the Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer.
[0196] In still other embodiments, the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure has a structure, e.g., shown in FIG. 1C, wherein the BsAb first antigen-binding region is a Fab and is linked at the C-terminus of its Fab heavy chain to the N-terminus of one Fc polypeptide in the Fc domain, and the BsAb second antigen-binding region has two Fabs. The C-terminus of one Fab heavy chain of the BsAb second antigen-binding region is linked to the N-terminus of the other Fc polypeptide in the Fc domain, and the C-terminus of the other Fab heavy chain of the BsAb second antigen-binding region is linked to the N-terminus of the Fab heavy chain of the BsAb first antigen-binding region.
[0197] More specifically, the structure shown in FIG. 1C comprises: (1) a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the BsAb second antigen-binding region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; (2) a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the BsAb second antigen-binding region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , a heavy chain variable region of the BsAb first antigen-binding region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the BsAb second antigen-binding region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) ; (4) a chain 4: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the BsAb second antigen-binding region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) ; and (5) a chain 5: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the BsAb first antigen-binding region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , wherein the Fc region in the chain 1 and the Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer.
[0198] In some embodiments, the BsAb first antigen-binding region, the BsAb second antigen-binding region, and the Fc region are linked directly or via a linker (e.g., a linker peptide) or a hinge region.
[0199] In other embodiments, the trispecific antibody of the present disclosure has a structure, e.g., shown in FIG. 1D, wherein the TsAb first antigen-binding region is an ScFv, the TsAb second antigen-binding region is a Fab and is linked at the C-terminus of its Fab heavy chain to the N-terminus of the first antigen-binding region, the first antigen-binding region is linked at its C-terminus to the N-terminus of one Fc polypeptide in the Fc domain, and the TsAb third antigen-binding region is a VHH and is linked at its C-terminus to the N-terminus of the other Fc polypeptide in the Fc domain.
[0200] More specifically, the structure shown in FIG. 1D comprises: (1) a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the TsAb third antigen-binding region and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) , wherein the TsAb third antigen-binding region is a VHH; (2) a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the TsAb second antigen-binding region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , the TsAb first antigen-binding region, and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) , wherein the TsAb first antigen-binding region is an scFv; and (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the TsAb second antigen-binding region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , wherein the Fc region in the chain 1 and the Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer.
[0201] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure has a structure, wherein the CD3 binding domain is an scFv, and the CD19 binding domain is a Fab, and the multispecific antibody comprises: a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BCMA binding domain and a first Fc region, wherein the BCMA binding domain is a VHH; a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain, a CH1 region, the CD3 binding domain, and a second Fc region, wherein the CD3 binding domain is an scFv; and a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain and a light chain constant region, wherein the first Fc region in the chain 1 and the second Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and the first Fc region and the second Fc region form an Fc dimer, wherein chain 1 and chain 2 form one or more inter-chain disulfide bonds, and wherein chain 2 and chain 3 form at least one inter-chain disulfide bond. In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody comprises one or more linker and / or a hinge region. The one or more linker and / or hinger region may be positioned 1) between the second Fc region and the CD3 binding domain and / or 2) between a CD3 heavy chain variable region and a CD3 light chain variable region. In some embodiments, the linker may be any one of SEQ ID NOs: 50-54. In some embodiments, the anti-CD3 ScFv is directly linked to the C terminus anti-CD19 Fab.
[0202] In still other embodiments, the trispecific antibody of the present disclosure has a structure, e.g., shown in FIG. 1E, wherein the TsAb third antigen-binding region (e.g., the BCMA binding domain) is a VHH and is fused at its C-terminus to the N-terminus of the second antigen-binding region (e.g., the CD19 binding domain) , the TsAb second antigen-binding region is an scFv and is fused at its C-terminus to the N-terminus of one Fc polypeptide in the Fc domain, and the TsAb first antigen-binding region (e.g., the CD3 binding domain) is a Fab and is fused at the C-terminus of its Fab heavy chain to the N-terminus of the other Fc polypeptide in the Fc domain.
[0203] More specifically, the structure shown in FIG. 1E comprises: (1) a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the TsAb third antigen-binding region (e.g., the BCMA binding domain) , the TsAb second antigen-binding region (e.g., the CD19 binding domain) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; (2) a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the TsAb first antigen-binding region (e.g., the CD3 binding domain) , a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; and (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the TsAb first antigen-binding region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , wherein the Fc region in the chain 1 and the Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer.
[0204] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure has a structure as shown in FIG. 1E, wherein, a chain 1 comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BCMA binding domain, the CD19 binding domain, and an Fc region, a chain 2 comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the CD3 binding domain, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; and (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the CD3 binding domain and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , wherein the first Fc region in the chain 1 and the second Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer, wherein chain 1 and chain form one or more inter-chain disulfide bonds, and wherein chain 2 and chain 3 form at least one inter-chain disulfide bond. One illustrative embodiment of the trispecific antibody is shown in FIG. 1E.
[0205] In yet other embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure has a structure similar to FIG. 1E, wherein, a chain 1 comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BCMA binding domain, the CD3 binding domain, and an Fc region, a chain 2 comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; and (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , wherein the first Fc region in the chain 1 and the second Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer, wherein chain 1 and chain form one or more inter-chain disulfide bonds, and wherein chain 2 and chain 3 form at least one inter-chain disulfide bond.
[0206] In yet other embodiments, the trispecific antibody of the present disclosure has a structure, e.g., shown in FIG. 1F, wherein the TsAb third antigen-binding region (e.g., the BCMA binding domain) is a VHH and is fused at its C-terminus to the N-terminus of the second antigen-binding region, the TsAb second antigen-binding region (e.g., the CD19 binding domain) is a Fab and is fused at its C-terminus to the N-terminus of one Fc polypeptide in the Fc domain, and the TsAb first antigen-binding region (e.g., the CD3 binding domain) is a Fab and is fused at the C-terminus of its Fab heavy chain to the N-terminus of the other Fc polypeptide in the Fc domain.
[0207] More specifically, the structure shown in FIG. 1F comprises: (1) a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the TsAb third antigen-binding region (e.g., the BCMA binding domain) and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; (2) a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the TsAb first antigen-binding region (e.g., the CD3 binding domain) , a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , a heavy chain variable region of the TsAb second antigen-binding region (e.g., the CD19 binding domain) , a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the TsAb second antigen-binding region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) ; and (4) a chain 4: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the TsAb first antigen-binding region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , wherein the Fc region in the chain 1 and the Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer.
[0208] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure has a structure shown in FIG. 1F, wherein, a chain 1 comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BCMA binding domain and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) , a chain 2 comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , a light chain variable region of the CD3 binding domain, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain, a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , a heavy chain variable region of the CD3 binding domain, and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) . In some embodiments, the first Fc region in the chain 1 and the second Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer, wherein chain 1 and chain form one or more inter-chain disulfide bonds, and wherein chain 2 and chain 3 form at least one inter-chain disulfide bond. One illustrative embodiment of the trispecific antibody is shown in FIG. 1F. In some embodiments, chain 2 may comprise, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the heavy chain variable region of the CD3 binding domain, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , the heavy chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and the second Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; and chain 3 may comprise, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the light chain variable region of the CD3 binding domain, a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , the light chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain, and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) .
[0209] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure may include the BCMA binding domain in the chain 1 (i) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, or (ii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27; the CD19 heavy chain variable region in the chain 2 (i) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, or (ii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31; and the CD3 binding domain (i) comprises or consists of at least one of the amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 11 or 91-101, or (ii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to at least one of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 11 or 91-101; and the CD19 light chain variable region in the chain 3 (i) comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35, or (ii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35.
[0210] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody comprises the BCMA binding domain in the chain 1 comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, the CD19 heavy chain variable region in the chain 2 (i) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, the CD3 binding domain (i) comprises or consists of at least one of the amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 11 or 91-101, and the CD19 light chain variable region in the chain 3 (i) comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35.
[0211] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody comprises the BCMA binding domain in the chain 1 comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, the CD19 heavy chain variable region in the chain 2 comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, the CD3 binding domain comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to at least one of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 11 or 91-101, and the CD19 light chain variable region in the chain 3 comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35.
[0212] In illustrative embodiments of the structures of the bi / trispecific antibodies shown in FIGs. 1A-F, the two Fc regions of the antibody comprise knob-in-hole structure in the CH3 regions. The knob-in-hole structure is produced when introducing a knob mutation (abulkier amino acid substitution) into one of two Fc regions and a hole mutation (which forms a complementary cavity to the bulkier amino acid substitution) into the other Fc region. It should be noted that the position of a knob mutation (s) or a hole mutation (s) can be present in the CH3 of either Fc region. As long as the CH3 of one of the two Fc regions comprise the knob mutation (s) and the CH3 of the other Fc region comprise the corresponding hole mutation (s) , a knob-in-hole structure can be formed. In some embodiments, the CH3 in the Fc domain may also be a wild-type CH3, i.e, not comprising any mutations (e.g., Knob and hole mutations) .
[0213] In some embodiments, one or both of the Fc region in the chain 1 and the Fc region in the chain 2 further comprise an L234A mutation, an L235A mutation, a D265A mutation, and / or a P329A mutation. In some embodiments, the Fc region in the chain 1 comprises a knob mutation (s) , an L234A mutation and an L235A mutation, a D265A mutation and a P329A mutation, and the Fc region in chain 2 comprises a hole mutation (s) , an L234A mutation, an L235A mutation, a D265A mutation, and a P329A mutation. In some embodiments, the Fc region in the chain 2 comprises a knob mutation (s) , an L234A mutation, an L235A mutation, a D265A mutation and a P329A mutation, and the Fc region in chain 1 comprises a hole mutation (s) , an L234A mutation, an L235A mutation, a D265A mutation, and a P329A mutation. IV. Fab fragment suitable for use in bi / multispecific antibodies of the present disclosure
[0214] In some embodiments, the Fab fragment, as one of the antigen-binding regions of the multispecific antibody, consists of two polypeptide chains comprising VH, CH1, VL, and CL domains of the antibody, wherein the VH is paired with the VL, and the CH1 is paired with the CL to form the antigen-binding region. In some embodiments, in the Fab, one chain comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a VH and a CH1, and the other chain comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a VL and a CL.
[0215] In some embodiments, the C-terminus of the CH1 in the Fab is directly linked to an Fc or non-Fc domain, wherein the C-terminus of the CH1 may or may not comprise a hinge region. In some embodiments, the hinge region is selected from the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 55-56.
[0216] In some embodiments, the C-terminus of the CH1 in the Fab may also be linked to an Fc or non-Fc domain via a linker (e.g., a linker peptide) . In some embodiments, the linker peptide is selected from the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 50-54.
[0217] In some embodiments, in the multispecific antibody, the Fab may be linked to the N-terminus of the Fc domain of the antibody through the C-terminus of the chain comprising the VH. In some embodiments, the Fab comprises a VH-CH1 chain and a VL-CL chain, and the C-terminus of the CH1 of the VH-CH1 chain is linked to the Fc domain of the antibody, either directly or via a linker (e.g., a linker peptide) . Herein, a Fab chain linked to an Fc dimer is also referred to as a Fab heavy chain, and a Fab chain not linked to an Fc dimer is also referred to as a Fab light chain.
[0218] In some embodiments, the Fab heavy chain comprises a VH and a CH1. In some embodiments, the CH1 is a CH1 from IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, or IgG4. In some embodiments, the Fab heavy chain comprises a VH and a CH1, wherein the CH1 is from IgG1. In some embodiments, the CH1 (i) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 57; (ii) comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 57; or (iii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10 or 10, and more preferably no more than 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) amino acid changes (preferably amino acid replacements, and more preferably conservative amino acid replacements) compared to the amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 57.
[0219] In some embodiments, the Fab light chain comprises a VL-CL. In some embodiments, the CL is a light chain constant region from an antibody kappa or lambda light chain. In some embodiments, the antibody light chain constant region CL of the present disclosure (i) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 60 or 61; (ii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 60 or 61; or (iii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 20 or 10, and more preferably no more than 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) amino acid changes (preferably amino acid replacements, and more preferably conservative amino acid replacements) compared to an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 60 or 61.
[0220] In some embodiments, the Fab comprised in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure specifically binds to CD3 or specifically binds to CD19. V. scFv suitable for use in bi / multispecific antibodies of the present disclosure
[0221] In some embodiments, the scFv fragment that is one of the binding regions of the bi / multispecific antibody consists of one polypeptide chain comprising VH and VL domains of the antibody, wherein the VH and the VL are linked directly or via a linker or a hinge region for pairing to form the antigen-binding site. In some embodiments, the scFv is a trans-configuration comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a VH, a linker / hinge region, and a VL. In other embodiments, the scFv is a cis-configuration comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a VL, a linker / hinge region, and a VH. The linker may be a linker peptide. In some embodiments, the linker peptide is selected from the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 50-54. In some embodiments, the hinge region is selected from the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 55-56. In some preferred embodiments, the scFv antigen-binding site contained in the antibody molecule of the present disclosure is a disulfide-stabilized scFv.
[0222] In some embodiments, in the bi / multispecific antibody, the scFv may be fused to the N-terminus of one Fc polypeptide in the Fc domain of the antibody through the chain C-terminus (the C-terminus of the VH chain or the VL chain) . In some embodiments, in the multispecific antibody, the scFv may be fused to the C-terminus of another antigen-binding region (e.g., a Fab heavy chain) through the chain N-terminus (the N-terminus of the VH chain or the VL chain) , and to the N-terminus of one Fc polypeptide in the Fc domain of the antibody through the chain C-terminus (the C-terminus of the corresponding VL chain or VH chain) . In some embodiments, in the multispecific antibody, the scFv may include a linker. VI. Fc dimer suitable for use in bi / multispecific antibodies of the present disclosure
[0223] The Fc region suitable for use in the antibody molecule of the present disclosure may be any antibody Fc region. The Fc region may comprise a native sequence Fc region and a variant Fc region. The Fc region with a native sequence encompasses naturally occurring Fc sequences of various immunoglobulins, such as Fc regions of various Ig subtypes and allotypes thereof (Gestur Vidarsson et al., IgG subclasses and allotypes: from structure to effector functions, 20 October 2014, doi: 10.3389 / fimmu. 2014.00520) . For example, the Fc region of the antibody of the present disclosure may comprise two or three constant domains, i.e., a CH2 domain, a CH3 domain, and optionally a CH4 domain. In some embodiments, the Fc region of the antibody of the present disclosure comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, CH2-CH3. In some embodiments, the Fc region suitable for use in the antibody or the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure is a human IgG Fc, such as human IgG1 Fc, human IgG2 Fc, human IgG3 Fc, or human IgG4 Fc. In one embodiment, the Fc region derives from a human IgG1 Fc, e.g., comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 62 or an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity, such as 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or more identity, thereto.
[0224] As understood by those skilled in the art, according to the expected use of the antibody molecule of the present disclosure, the antibody molecule of the present disclosure may further comprise a modification in the Fc domain that alters the binding affinity to one or more Fc receptors. In one embodiment, the Fc receptor is an Fcγ receptor, in particular a human Fcγreceptor. In some embodiments, the Fc region comprises a mutation (s) that reduces binding to the Fcγ receptor. For example, in some embodiments, the Fc region used in the present disclosure has one or more of an L234A mutation, an L235A mutation, a D265A mutation, or a P329A mutation, which reduce binding to the Fcγ receptor. In some embodiments, the Fc region used in the present disclosure has an L234A mutation, an L235A mutation, a D265A mutation, and a P329A mutation, which reduce binding to the Fcγ receptor. In some embodiments, the Fc region comprising a mutation (s) that reduces binding to the Fcγ receptor comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 63 or an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity, e.g., 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or more identity, thereto, and comprises an L234A mutation, an L235A mutation, a D265A mutation, and a P329A mutation.
[0225] In some embodiments, two Fc regions in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure are dimerized to form a dimeric Fc. In some embodiments, the two Fc regions are identical. In other embodiments, the two Fc regions are different, and the two are paired and heterodimerized. As understood by those skilled in the art, to facilitate the formation of the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure as a heterodimer, the Fc region comprised in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure may comprise mutations that favor the heterodimerization.
[0226] Methods for facilitating the heterodimerization of the Fc regions are known in the art. For example, the CH3 region of one of the two Fc regions and the CH3 region of the other Fc region are engineered in a complementary manner, such that each CH3 region (or the heavy chain comprising the same) can be no longer homodimerized with itself but forced to be heterodimerized with other CH3 regions that are complementarily engineered (such that heterodimerization occurs between the first and second CH3 regions and no homodimers are formed between the two first CH3 regions or the two second CH3 regions) .
[0227] In some embodiments, corresponding knob and hole mutations are introduced in the two Fc regions, respectively, based on the knob-in-hole technique. For this technique, see, e.g., Merchant, A.M., et al., (1998) . “An efficient route to human bispecific IgG. ” Nat Biotechnol 16 (7) : 677-681.
[0228] In a particular embodiment, in the CH3 region of one of the two Fc regions, the threonine residue at position 366 is substituted with a tryptophan residue (T366W) (knob mutation) ; while in the CH3 region of the other of the two Fc regions, the tyrosine residue at position 407 is substituted with a valine residue (Y407V) (hole mutation) . Optionally, in the Fc region with the Y407V substitution, the threonine residue at position 366 is substituted with a serine residue (T366S) , and the leucine residue at position 368 is substituted with an alanine residue (L368A) (numbering according to the EU index) . In some embodiments, one of the two Fc regions comprises a knob mutation T366W, and the other Fc region comprises hole mutations T366S, L368A, and Y407V. In some embodiments, one Fc region comprises a Y349C mutation and the other Fc region comprises a S354C mutation, wherein the Y349C present on one Fc region and the S354C mutation present on the other Fc region form a disulfide bond. In some embodiments one Fc region comprises a S354C mutation and a Y349C mutation and the other Fc region comprises a Y349C mutation and a S354C mutation, wherein the Y349C mutation forms a disulfide bond with the S354C mutation on the other Fc region.
[0229] In still another embodiment, in the CH3 region of one of the two Fc regions, the knob mutation comprises or consists of: a substitution of the threonine residue at position 366 with a tryptophan residue (T366W) . In some embodiments, other mutations may be present in the Fc region comprising the knob mutation, such as the serine residue at position 354 with a cysteine residue (S354C) or a substitution of the glutamic acid residue at position 356 with a cysteine residue (E356C) (in particular, a substitution of the serine residue at position 354 with a cysteine residue) . In some embodiments, the CH3 region of the other of the two Fc regions, the hole mutations comprise or consist of: a substitution of the tyrosine residue at position 407 with a valine residue (Y407V) , optionally a substitution of the threonine residue at position 366 with a serine residue (T366S) and a substitution of the leucine residue at position 368 with an alanine residue (L368A) (numbering according to the EU index) . In some embodiments, the Fc region comprising the hole mutation may comprise a substitution of a tyrosine residue at position 349 with a cysteine residue (Y349C) (numbering according to the EU index) .
[0230] In one specific embodiment, one of the two Fc regions comprises amino acid substitution T366W (knob mutation) and an S354C mutation, and the other of the two Fc regions comprises amino acid substitutions T366S, L368A, and Y407V (hole mutations) and Y349C mutation (numbering according to the EU index) .
[0231] Thus, in one specific embodiment, the two Fc regions comprised in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure are heterodimerized, wherein (1) one Fc-region polypeptide comprises a mutation T366W, while the other Fc-region polypeptide comprises mutations T366S, L368A, and Y407V, or (2) one Fc-region polypeptide comprises mutations T366W and Y349C, while the other Fc-region polypeptide comprises mutations T366S, L368A, Y407V, and S354C, or (3) one Fc-region polypeptide comprises mutations T366W and S354C, while the other Fc-region polypeptide comprises mutations T366S, L368A, Y407V, and Y349C; and optionally, the Fc region further comprises a mutation (s) that reduces binding to the Fcγreceptor, e.g., one or more of a L234A mutation, a L235A mutation, a D265A mutation, or a P329A mutation, for example, a L234A mutation, a L235A mutation, a D265A mutation, and a P329A mutation.
[0232] In one specific embodiment, the two Fc regions comprised in the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure are heterodimerized. The first Fc region comprises a knob mutation (s) and comprises or consists of: an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59, 64, or 65; an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity, e.g., 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or more identity, to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59 and comprising knob mutation T366W and an S354C mutation; an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity, e.g., 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or more identity, to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 64 and comprising a knob mutation (T366W) ; or an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity, e.g., 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or more identity, to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 65 and comprising knob mutation T366W and a Y349C mutation. The second Fc region comprises hole mutations and comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 58, 66, or 67; an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity, e.g., 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or more identity, to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 58 and comprising hole mutations (T366S, L368A, and Y407V) and a Y349C mutation; an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity, e.g., 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or more identity, to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 66 and comprising hole mutations (T366S, L368A, and Y407V) ; or an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity, e.g., 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or more identity, to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 67 and comprising hole mutations (T366S, L368A, and Y407V) and an S354C mutation. In some embodiments, the Fc region further comprises additional mutations that favor the purification of the heterodimer.
[0233] In some embodiments, the first Fc region in the chain 1 and the second Fc region in the chain 2 are different, and wherein the first Fc region and the second Fc region comprise a corresponding knob mutation (s) and a corresponding hole mutation (s) , respectively. In some embodiments, the second Fc region and the first Fc region comprise a corresponding knob mutations (s) and a corresponding hole mutation (s) , respectively. In some embodiments, for the first Fc region and the second Fc region, one Fc region comprises a knob mutation T366W, and the other Fc region comprises any one of hole mutations T366S, L368A, and Y407V. In some embodiments, for the first Fc region and the second Fc region, one Fc region comprises a knob mutation T366W and a Y349C mutation, and the other Fc region comprises any one of hole mutations T366S, L368A, or Y407V, and an S354C mutation. In some embodiments, for the first Fc region and the second Fc region, one Fc region comprises a knob mutation T366W and an S354C mutation, and the other Fc region comprises any one of hole mutations T366S, L368A, or Y407V, and a Y349C mutation. In some embodiments, the at least one of the first Fc region or the second Fc region further comprises one or more of a L234A mutation, a / L235A mutation, a D265A mutation, or a P329A mutation. In some embodiments, the Fc region comprising the knob mutation (s) comprises a L234A mutation or a L235A mutation. In some embodiments, the Fc region comprising the knob mutation (s) comprises a L234A mutation and an L235A mutation. In some embodiments, the Fc region comprising the hole mutation (s) comprises a D265A mutation and a P329A mutation. In some embodiments, the Fc region comprising the hole mutation (s) comprises a D265A mutation or a P329A mutation. In some embodiments, the first Fc region includes the hole mutation and the second Fc region includes the knob mutation. In some embodiments, the first Fc region includes a knob mutation and the second Fc region includes the hole mutation.
[0234] In some embodiments, for the first Fc region and the second Fc region, the Fc region comprises a knob mutation (s) , the first Fc region or the second Fc region comprising a polypeptide (i) comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59, 64, or 65, or (ii) comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59, 64, or 65; and the other comprises a hole mutation (s) , the first Fc region or the second Fc region comprising a polypeptide (i) comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 58, 66, or 67, or (ii) comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 58, 66, or 67.
[0235] In some embodiments, for the first Fc region and the second Fc region, the Fc region comprises a knob mutation (s) , the first Fc region or the second Fc region comprising a polypeptide comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59, 64, or 65 and the other comprises a hole mutation (s) , the first Fc region or the second Fc region comprising a polypeptide comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 58, 66, or 67.
[0236] In some embodiments, for the first Fc region and the second Fc region, one Fc region comprises a knob mutation (s) , the first Fc region or the second Fc region comprising a polypeptide comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59, 64, or 65; and the other comprises a hole mutation (s) , the first Fc region or the second Fc region comprising a polypeptide comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 58, 66, or 67.
[0237] In some embodiments, for the first Fc region and the second Fc region, one Fc region comprises a knob mutation (s) , the first Fc region or the second Fc region comprising a polypeptide comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59; and the other comprising a hole mutation (s) , the first Fc region or the second Fc region comprising a polypeptide comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 58, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 58.
[0238] In some embodiments, for the first Fc region and the second Fc region, one Fc region comprising a knob mutation (s) , the first Fc region or the second Fc region comprising a polypeptide comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 64, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 64; and the other comprising a hole mutation (s) , the first Fc region or the second Fc region comprising a polypeptide comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 66, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 66.
[0239] In some embodiments, for the first Fc region and the second Fc region, one comprising a knob mutation (s) , the first Fc region or the second Fc region comprising a polypeptide comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 65, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 65; and the other comprising a hole mutation (s) , the first Fc region or the second Fc region comprising a polypeptide comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 67, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 67.
[0240] In some embodiments, the second Fc region comprises the one or more knob mutations, and the first Fc region comprises the one or more hole mutations. VII. BsAb first antigen-binding region and TsAb first antigen-binding region specifically binding to CD3
[0241] In one embodiment, the BsAb first antigen-binding region in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure or the TsAb first antigen-binding region in the trispecific antibody of the present disclosure may be an antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof binding to CD3, preferably an antibody fragment selected from: a Fab, a Fab', a Fab'-SH, an Fv, a single-chain antibody (e.g., scFv) , a (Fab') 2, a single-domain antibody (e.g., VHH) , a domain antibody (dAb) , or a linear antibody.
[0242] In one embodiment, the BsAb first antigen-binding region in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure or the TsAb first antigen-binding region in the trispecific antibody of the present disclosure is a Fab comprising a CD3 Fab heavy chain and a CD3 Fab light chain. The CD3 Fab heavy chain comprises a CD3 heavy chain variable region and CH1, and the CD3 Fab light chain comprises a CD3 light chain variable region and CL. In some embodiments, the CD3 heavy chain variable region of the CD3 Fab heavy chain is linked to CH1 directly or via a linker peptide or a hinge region. The linker peptide is selected from the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 50-54, and the hinge region is the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 55 or 56. In some embodiments, the CD3 Fab light chain comprises a CD3 light chain variable region and CL, and the CL is a light chain constant region from an antibody kappa or lambda light chain, preferably a light chain constant region from a lambda light chain.
[0243] In some embodiments, the CD3 Fab heavy chain (i) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NOs: 12 and 102-112; (ii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NOs: 12 and 102-112; or (iii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10 or 10, and more preferably no more than 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) amino acid changes (preferably amino acid replacements, and more preferably conservative amino acid replacements) compared to an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NOs: 12 and 102-112.
[0244] In some embodiments, the CD3 Fab light chain (i) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13; (ii) comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13; or (iii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10 or 10, and more preferably no more than 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) amino acid changes (preferably amino acid replacements, and more preferably conservative amino acid replacements) compared to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13.
[0245] In one specific embodiment, the BsAb first antigen-binding region in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure or the TsAb first antigen-binding region in the trispecific antibody of the present disclosure is an scFv comprising the CD3 heavy chain variable region and the CD3 light chain variable region as described above. In some embodiments, the scFv comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a CD3 heavy chain variable region, a linker (e.g., a linker peptide) , and a CD3 light chain variable region, and optionally comprises a glycine at the C-terminus of the light chain variable region. In some embodiments, the linker peptide is (GGGGS) n (SEQ ID NO: 131) , wherein n = 1, 2, 3, or 4. In some embodiments, the scFv comprises a sequence set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 11 and 91-101 or a sequence having at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%or more sequence identity and the same CDRs as compared to a sequence set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 11 and 91-101.
[0246] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 8, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, and an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6.
[0247] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 8, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, and an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6.
[0248] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 73, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, and an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6.
[0249] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 74, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, and an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6.
[0250] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 75, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, and an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6.
[0251] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 73, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, and an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6.
[0252] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 76, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, and an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6.
[0253] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 77, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, and an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6.
[0254] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 44, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 73, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, and an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6.
[0255] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 78, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, and an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6.
[0256] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 71, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 79, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, and an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6.
[0257] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure includes a CD3 binding domain including an HCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 72, an HCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 73, and a CD3 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, an LCDR2 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, and an LCDR3 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6. In some embodiments, any one of, or more than one of, HCDR1, HCDR2, HCDR3, LCDR1, LCDR2, and LCDR3, can comprise of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions. In some embodiments, the CDRs as described herein can comprise of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid mutations relative to the specific CDR sequences disclosed in this disclosure.
[0258] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure comprises a CD3 heavy chain variable region comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 9 or 80-90 and a CD3 light chain variable region amino acid sequence comprising at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10. In some embodiments, the CD3 heavy chain variable region comprising an amino acid sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 9 or 80-90; and the CD3 light chain variable region comprising an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10. VIII. BsAb second antigen-binding region specifically binding to MUC16
[0259] In one embodiment, the BsAb second antigen-binding region in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure is an antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof binding to MUC16, preferably an antibody fragment selected from: a Fab, a Fab', a Fab'-SH, an Fv, a single-chain antibody (e.g., scFv) , a (Fab') 2, a single-domain antibody (e.g., VHH) , a domain antibody (dAb) , or a linear antibody.
[0260] In some aspects, the BsAb second antigen-binding region of the present disclosure comprises a MUC16 heavy chain variable region and a MUC16 light chain variable region, wherein: the MUC16 heavy chain variable region: (i) comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 of a heavy chain variable region consisting of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14; (ii) comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15, SEQ ID NO: 16, and SEQ ID NO: 17, respectively, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15, SEQ ID NO: 16, and SEQ ID NO: 17, respectively; or (iii) comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region; and the MUC16 light chain variable region: (i) comprises an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3 of a light chain variable region consisting of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18; (ii) comprises an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19, SEQ ID NO: 20, and SEQ ID NO: 21, respectively, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19, SEQ ID NO: 20, and SEQ ID NO: 21, respectively; or (iii) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region.
[0261] In one embodiment, the BsAb second antigen-binding region in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure is a Fab comprising a MUC16 Fab heavy chain and a MUC16 Fab light chain. The MUC16 Fab heavy chain comprises a MUC16 heavy chain variable region and CH1, and the MUC16 Fab light chain comprises a CD3 light chain variable region and CL. In some embodiments, the MUC16 heavy chain variable region of the MUC16 Fab heavy chain is linked to CH1 directly or via a linker peptide or a hinge region. The linker peptide is selected from the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 50-54, and the hinge region is the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 55 or 56. In some embodiments, the MUC16 Fab light chain comprises a MUC16 light chain variable region and CL, and the CL is a light chain constant region from an antibody kappa or lambda light chain, preferably a light chain constant region from a lambda light chain.
[0262] In some embodiments, the MUC16 Fab heavy chain (i) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 23; (ii) comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 23; or (iii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10 or 10, and more preferably no more than 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) amino acid changes (preferably amino acid replacements, and more preferably conservative amino acid replacements) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 23.
[0263] In some embodiments, the MUC16 Fab light chain (i) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 24; (ii) comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ 24; or (iii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10 or 10, and more preferably no more than 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) amino acid changes (preferably amino acid replacements, and more preferably conservative amino acid replacements) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 24.
[0264] In one specific embodiment, the BsAb second antigen-binding region in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure is an scFv comprising the MUC16 heavy chain variable region and the MUC16 light chain variable region as described above. In some embodiments, the scFv comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a MUC16 heavy chain variable region, a linker (e.g., a linker peptide) , and a MUC16 light chain variable region, and optionally comprises a glycine at the C-terminus of the light chain variable region. In some embodiments, the linker peptide is (GGGGS) n (SEQ ID NO: 131) , wherein n = 1, 2, 3, or 4. In some embodiments, the scFv comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 22 or a sequence having at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%or more sequence identity and the same CDRs as compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 22. IX. TsAb second antigen-binding region specifically binding to CD19
[0265] In one embodiment, the TsAb second antigen-binding region in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure is an antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof binding to CD19. In some embodiments, the CD19 antibody or antigen-binding fragment is selected from: a Fab, a Fab', a Fab'-SH, an Fv, a single-chain antibody (e.g., scFv) , a (Fab') 2, a single-domain antibody (e.g., VHH) , a domain antibody (dAb) , or a linear antibody. In some embodiments, the CD19 binding domain is a Fab in the multispecific antibody.
[0266] In some aspects, the TsAb second antigen-binding region of the present disclosure comprises a CD19 heavy chain variable region and a CD19 light chain variable region, wherein: the CD19 heavy chain variable region: (i) comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 of a heavy chain variable region consisting of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31; (ii) comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, SEQ ID NO: 33, and SEQ ID NO: 34, respectively, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having one, two, three, four, five, or six modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, SEQ ID NO: 33, and SEQ ID NO: 34, respectively; or (iii) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region; and the CD19 light chain variable region: (i) comprises an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3 of a light chain variable region consisting of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35; (ii) comprises an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 36, SEQ ID NO: 37, and SEQ ID NO: 38, respectively, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having one, two, three, four, five, or six modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 36, SEQ ID NO: 37, and SEQ ID NO: 38, respectively; or (iii) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region.
[0267] In some embodiments, the CD19 binding domain comprises a heavy chain variable region comprising: an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, SEQ ID NO: 33, and SEQ ID NO: 34, respectively, or an amino acid sequence having one, two, three, four, five, or six modifications compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, SEQ ID NO: 33, and SEQ ID NO: 34, respectively, or the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, or an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31; and a CD19 light chain variable region comprising: an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 36, SEQ ID NO: 37, and SEQ ID NO: 38, respectively, or an amino acid sequence having one, two, three, four, five, or six modifications compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 36, SEQ ID NO: 37, and SEQ ID NO: 38, respectively, or the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35, or (v) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35.
[0268] In some embodiments, the CD19 binding domain comprises a CD19 heavy chain variable region comprising an HCDR1, an HCDR3, and an HCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, SEQ ID NO: 33, and SEQ ID NO: 34, respectively, and a CD19 light chain variable region comprising an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 36, SEQ ID NO: 37, and SEQ ID NO: 38, respectively.
[0269] In some embodiments, the CD19 binding domain comprises a CD19 heavy chain variable region comprising an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, SEQ ID NO: 33, and SEQ ID NO: 34, respectively, and a CD19 light chain variable region comprising an amino acid sequence having one, two, three, four, five, or six modifications compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 36, SEQ ID NO: 37, and SEQ ID NO: 38, respectively.
[0270] In some embodiments, the CD19 binding domain comprises a CD19 heavy chain variable region comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31 and a CD19 light chain variable region comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35. In some embodiments, the CD19 binding domain comprises a CD19 heavy chain variable region comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31 and a CD19 light chain variable region comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35.
[0271] In one embodiment, the TsAb second antigen-binding region in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure is a Fab comprising a CD19 Fab heavy chain and a CD19 Fab light chain. The CD19 Fab heavy chain comprises a CD19 heavy chain variable region and CH1, and the CD19 Fab light chain comprises a CD3 light chain variable region and CL. In some embodiments, the CD19 heavy chain variable region comprised in the CD19 Fab heavy chain is linked to CH1 directly or via a linker peptide or a hinge region. The linker peptide is selected from the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 50-54, and the hinge region is the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 55 or 56. In some embodiments, the CD19 Fab light chain comprises a CD19 light chain variable region and CL, and the CL is a light chain constant region from an antibody kappa or lambda light chain. In some embodiments, the CL is a light chain constant region from a lambda light chain.
[0272] In some embodiments, the CD19 Fab heavy chain (i) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 40; (ii) comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 40; or (iii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10 or 10, and more preferably no more than 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) amino acid changes (preferably amino acid replacements, and more preferably conservative amino acid replacements) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 40.
[0273] In some embodiments, the CD19 Fab light chain (i) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 41; (ii) comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 41; or (iii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10 or 10, and more preferably no more than 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1) amino acid changes (preferably amino acid replacements, and more preferably conservative amino acid replacements) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 41.
[0274] In one specific embodiment, the TsAb second antigen-binding region in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure is an scFv comprising the CD19 heavy chain variable region and the CD19 light chain variable region as described above. In some embodiments, the scFv comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, an CD19 heavy chain variable region, a linker (e.g., a linker peptide) , and an CD19 light chain variable region, and optionally comprises a glycine at the C-terminus of the light chain variable region. In some embodiments, the linker peptide is (GGGGS) n (SEQ ID NO: 131) , wherein n = 1, 2, 3, or 4. In some embodiments, the scFv comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 39 or a sequence having at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%or more sequence identity and the same CDRs as compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 39. X. TsAb third antigen-binding region specifically binding to BCMA
[0275] In some embodiments, the TsAb third antigen-binding region of the multispecific antibody the present disclosure is a VHH specifically binding to BCMA, comprising or consisting of a heavy chain variable region typically having the following structure: FR1-VHH CDR1-FR2-VHH CDR2-FR3-VHH CDR3-FR4, wherein FR1 to FR4 refer to framework regions 1-4; VHH CDR1 to VHH CDR3 refer to complementarity determining regions 1-3. The CDR sequences in the VHH variable region may be determined according to any of the CDR definition schemes described in the “Definition” section.
[0276] In some embodiments, the TsAb third antigen-binding region of the present disclosure is a BCMA VHH, which (1) comprises a VHH CDR1, a VHH CDR2, and a VHH CDR3 of the VHH set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27; (2) comprises a VHH CDR1, a VHH CDR2, and a VHH CDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 28, SEQ ID NO: 29, and SEQ ID NO: 30, respectively, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having one, two, three, four, five, or six modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 28, SEQ ID NO: 29, and SEQ ID NO: 30, respectively; or (3) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region. The CDR sequences are defined according to Kabat.
[0277] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure may comprise the BCMA binding domain. The BCMA binding domain may be a BCMA VHH that binds specifically to BCMA, wherein the BCMA VHH comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 (i) comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 28, SEQ ID NO: 29, and SEQ ID NO: 30, respectively. In some embodiments the BCMA VHH comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one, two, three, four, five, or six modifications compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 28, SEQ ID NO: 29, and SEQ ID NO: 30, respectively. In some embodiments, the BCMA VHH comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27. In some embodiments, the BCMA VHH comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27. XI. Exemplary bi / trispecific antibodies
[0278] In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a bispecific antibody comprising a BsAb first antigen-binding region that specifically binds to a first antigen and a BsAb second antigen-binding region that specifically binds to a second antigen, and an Fc dimer, e.g., an Fc heterodimer.
[0279] In some specific embodiments, in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the BsAb first antigen-binding region specifically binds to CD3 and the BsAb second antigen-binding region specifically binds to MUC16, with a structure, e.g., as shown in FIG. 1A, comprising: (1) a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the CD3 heavy chain variable region, the CD3 light chain variable region, and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; (2) a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the MUC16 heavy chain variable region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; and (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the MUC16 light chain variable region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , wherein the Fc region in the chain 1 and the Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer.
[0280] In some other specific embodiments, in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the BsAb first antigen-binding region specifically binds to CD3 and the BsAb second antigen-binding region specifically binds to MUC16, with a structure, e.g., as shown in FIG. 1B, comprising: (1) a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the MUC16 heavy chain variable region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; (2) a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the MUC16 heavy chain variable region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , the CD3 heavy chain variable region, the CD3 light chain variable region, and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) , wherein the BsAb first antigen-binding region is an scFv; (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the MUC16 light chain variable region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) ; and (4) a chain 4: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the MUC16 light chain variable region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , wherein the Fc region in the chain 1 and the Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer.
[0281] In still other specific embodiments, in the bispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the BsAb first antigen-binding region specifically binds to CD3 and the BsAb second antigen-binding region specifically binds to MUC16, with a structure, e.g., as shown in FIG. 1C, comprising: (1) a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the MUC16 heavy chain variable region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; (2) a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the MUC16 heavy chain variable region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , the CD3 heavy chain variable region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the MUC16 light chain variable region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) ; (4) a chain 4: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the MUC16 light chain variable region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) ; and (5) a chain 5: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the CD3 light chain variable region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , wherein the Fc region in the chain 1 and the Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer.
[0282] In an exemplary embodiment, the bispecific antibody, as shown in FIG. 1A, consists of three polypeptide chains: a chain 1 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 25, a chain 2 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 26, and a chain 3 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 24.
[0283] In an exemplary embodiment, the bispecific antibody, as shown in FIG. 1B, consists of four polypeptide chains: a chain 1 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 26, a chain 2 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 126, and identical chain 3 and chain 4 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 24.
[0284] In an exemplary embodiment, the bispecific antibody, as shown in FIG. 1C, consists of five polypeptide chains: a chain 1 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 26, a chain 2 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 127, identical chain 3 and chain 4 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 24, and a chain 5 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13.
[0285] In some specific embodiments, in the trispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the TsAb first antigen-binding region specifically binds to CD3, the TsAb second antigen-binding region specifically binds to CD19, and the TsAb third antigen-binding region specifically binds to BCMA, with a structure, e.g., as shown in FIG. 1D, comprising: (1) a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BCMA VHH and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; (2) a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the CD19 heavy chain variable region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , the CD3 heavy chain variable region, the CD3 light chain variable region, and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; and (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the CD19 light chain variable region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , wherein the Fc region in the chain 1 and the Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer.
[0286] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure has a structure, wherein the CD3 binding domain is an scFv, and the CD19 binding domain is a Fab, and the multispecific antibody comprises: a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BCMA binding domain and a first Fc region, wherein the BCMA binding domain is a VHH; a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain, a CH1 region, the CD3 binding domain, and a second Fc region, wherein the CD3 binding domain is an scFv; and a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain and a light chain constant region, wherein the first Fc region in the chain 1 and the second Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and the first Fc region and the second Fc region form an Fc dimer, wherein chain 1 and chain 2 form one or more inter-chain disulfide bonds, and wherein chain 2 and chain 3 form at least one inter-chain disulfide bond.
[0287] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody comprises a linker. The linker may be positioned between a constant region and the CD3 binding domain and positioned between a CD3 heavy chain variable region and a CD3 light chain variable region. In some embodiments, the linker may be positioned between a constant region and the CD3 binding domain or positioned between a CD3 heavy chain variable region and a CD3 light chain variable region. In some embodiments, the linker may be any one of SEQ ID NOs: 50-54.
[0288] In some other specific embodiments, in the trispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the TsAb first antigen-binding region specifically binds to CD3, the TsAb second antigen-binding region specifically binds to CD19, and the TsAb third antigen-binding region specifically binds to BCMA, with a structure, e.g., as shown in FIG. 1E, comprising: (1) a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BCMA VHH, the CD19 heavy chain variable region, the CD19 light chain variable region, and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; (2) a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the CD3 heavy chain variable region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; and (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the CD3 light chain variable region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , wherein the Fc region in the chain 1 and the Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer.
[0289] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure has a structure wherein, a chain 1 comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BCMA binding domain, the CD19 binding domain, and an Fc region, a chain 2 comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the CD3 binding domain, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; and (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the CD3 binding domain and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , wherein the first Fc region in the chain 1 and the second Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer, wherein chain 1 and chain form one or more inter-chain disulfide bonds, and wherein chain 2 and chain 3 form at least one inter-chain disulfide bond.
[0290] In some other specific embodiments, in the trispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the TsAb first antigen-binding region specifically binds to CD3, the TsAb second antigen-binding region specifically binds to CD19, and the TsAb third antigen-binding region specifically binds to BCMA, with a structure, e.g., as shown in FIG. 1F, comprising: (1) a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BCMA VHH and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; (2) a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the CD19 heavy chain variable region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , the CD3 heavy chain variable region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the CD19 light chain variable region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) ; and (4) a chain 4: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the CD3 light chain variable region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , wherein the Fc region in the chain 1 and the Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer.
[0291] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure has a structure wherein, a chain 1 comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BCMA binding domain and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) , a chain 2 comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the CD3 binding domain, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , a heavy chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; (3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) , and (4) a chain 4: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the CD3 binding domain and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) wherein the first Fc region in the chain 1 and the second Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer, wherein chain 1 and chain form one or more inter-chain disulfide bonds, and wherein chain 2 and chain 3 form at least one inter-chain disulfide bond.
[0292] In some embodiments, the first Fc region in the chain 1 and the second Fc region in the chain 2 are different, and wherein (i) the first Fc region and the second Fc region include a corresponding knob mutation (s) and a corresponding hole mutation (s) , respectively, or (ii) the second Fc region and the first Fc region includes a corresponding knob mutation (s) and a corresponding hole mutation (s) , respectively. In some embodiments, the first Fc region includes the hole mutation and the second Fc region includes the knob mutation. In some embodiments, the first Fc region includes a knob mutation and the second Fc region includes the hole mutation.
[0293] In some embodiments, in the multispecific antibody according to the present disclosure, the two Fc regions are different, and preferably, a corresponding knob mutation (s) and a corresponding hole mutation (s) are introduced into the two Fc regions, respectively, wherein (i) one Fc-region polypeptide comprises a knob mutation T366W, and the other Fc-region polypeptide comprises hole mutations T366S, L368A, and Y407V, or (ii) one Fc-region polypeptide comprises a knob mutation T366W and a Y349C mutation, and the other Fc-region polypeptide comprises hole mutations T366S, L368A, and Y407V, and a S354C mutation, or (iii) one Fc-region polypeptide comprises a knob mutation T366W and a S354C mutation, and the other Fc-region polypeptide comprises hole mutations T366S, L368A, and Y407V, and a Y349C mutation; and wherein optionally, the Fc region further comprises a mutation (s) that reduces binding to the Fcγ receptor, e.g., one or more of a L234A mutation, a L235A mutation, a D265A mutation, or a P329A mutation. In one example, the Fc region further comprises a L234A mutation, a L235A mutation, a D265A mutation, and a P329A mutation.
[0294] In an exemplary embodiment, the trispecific antibody, as shown in FIG. 1D, consists of three polypeptide chains: a polypeptide chain 1 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 42, a polypeptide chain 2 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 43, and a polypeptide chain 3 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 41.
[0295] In an exemplary embodiment, the bispecific antibody, as shown in FIG. 1E, consists of three polypeptide chains: a chain 1 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 128, a chain 2 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 129, and a chain 3 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13.
[0296] In an exemplary embodiment, the bispecific antibody, as shown in FIG. 1F, consists of three polypeptide chains: a chain 1 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 42, a chain 2 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 130, a chain 3 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 41, and a chain 4 comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13.
[0297] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure may include the BCMA binding domain in the chain 1 (i) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, or (ii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27; the CD19 heavy chain variable region in the chain 2 (i) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, or (ii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31; and the CD3 binding domain (i) comprises or consists of at least one of the amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 11 or 91-101, or (ii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to at least one of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 11 or 91-101; and the CD19 light chain variable region in the chain 3 (i) comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35, or (ii) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35.
[0298] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody comprises the BCMA binding domain in the chain 1 comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, the CD19 heavy chain variable region in the chain 2 (i) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, the CD3 binding domain (i) comprises or consists of at least one of the amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 11 or 91-101, and the CD19 light chain variable region in the chain 3 (i) comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35.
[0299] In some embodiments, the multispecific antibody comprises the BCMA binding domain in the chain 1 comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, the CD19 heavy chain variable region in the chain 2 comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, the CD3 binding domain comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to at least one of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 11 or 91-101, and the CD19 light chain variable region in the chain 3 comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35. XII. Nucleic acid encoding antibody and host cell comprising the same
[0300] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a nucleic acid encoding any of the above multispecific antibodies or any one of the chains thereof.
[0301] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, each antibody or polypeptide amino acid sequence may be encoded by a variety of nucleic acid sequences because of codon degeneracy. Nucleic acid sequences encoding the molecules of the present disclosure may be produced using methods well known in the art, for example by de novo solid-phase DNA synthesis, or by PCR amplification. For example, a nucleic acid encoding the antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof can be inserted into an expression vector that contains transcriptional and translational regulatory sequences, which include, e.g., promoter sequences, ribosomal binding sites, transcriptional start and stop sequences, translational start and stop sequences, transcription terminator signals, polyadenylation signals, and enhancer or activator sequences. The regulatory sequences include a promoter and transcriptional start and stop sequences. In addition, the expression vector can include more than one replication system, such that it can be maintained in two different organisms, for example, in mammalian or insect cells for expression and in a prokaryotic host for cloning and amplification.
[0302] In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a combination of nucleic acid molecules comprising a first nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 1, wherein the chain 1 includes, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BCMA binding domain and the first Fc region, wherein the BCMA binding domain is a VHH. The combination of nucleic acid molecules may further comprise a second nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 2, wherein chain 2 includes, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain, a CH1 region, the CD3 binding domain, and the second Fc region. In some embodiments, the combination of nucleic acid molecules comprises a third nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 3, wherein chain 3 includes, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain and a light chain constant region. In some embodiments, the nucleic acids encode the polypeptides of the multispecific antibody depicted in FIG. 1D.
[0303] In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a combination of nucleic acid molecules comprising a first nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 1, wherein the chain 1 includes, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BCMA binding domain, the CD19 binding domain, and an Fc region. In some embodiments, the combination of nucleic acid molecules further comprises a second nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 2, wherein the chain 2 includes, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the CD3 binding domain, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) . In some embodiments, the combination of nucleic acid molecules comprises a third nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 3, wherein the chain 3 includes, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the CD3 binding domain and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) . In some embodiments, the nucleic acids encode the polypeptides of the multispecific antibody depicted in FIG. 1E.
[0304] In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a combination of nucleic acid molecules comprising a first nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 1, wherein the chain 1 includes, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BCMA binding domain, the CD3 binding domain, and an Fc region. In some embodiments, the combination of nucleic acid molecules further comprises a second nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 2, wherein the chain 2 includes, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) . In some embodiments, the combination of nucleic acid molecules comprises a third nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 3, wherein the chain 3 includes, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the CD19 binding domain and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) .
[0305] In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a combination of nucleic acid molecules comprising a first nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 1, wherein the chain 1 includes, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the TsAb third antigen-binding region (e.g., the BCMA binding domain) and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) . In some embodiments, the combination of nucleic acid molecules further comprises a second nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 2, wherein the chain 2 includes, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region of the TsAb first antigen-binding region (e.g., the CD3 binding domain) , a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , a heavy chain variable region of the TsAb second antigen-binding region (e.g., the CD19 binding domain) , a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) . In some embodiments, the combination of nucleic acid molecules comprises and a third nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 3, wherein the chain 3 includes, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the TsAb second antigen-binding region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) In some embodiments, the combination of nucleic acid molecules may include a fourth nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 4, wherein the chain four includes, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region of the TsAb first antigen-binding region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) . In some embodiments, the nucleic acids encode the polypeptides of the multispecific antibody depicted in FIG. 1F.
[0306] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a nucleic acid encoding a multispecific antibody. When expressed in a suitable expression vector, a polypeptide encoded by the nucleic acid is capable of exhibiting binding capacity to human or monkey (e.g., cynomolgus monkey) CD3, human CD19, and the human BCMA antigen. In one embodiment, the nucleic acids encoding the chains of the multispecific antibody may be in the same vector or in different vectors. In yet another embodiment, the nucleic acids encoding the chains of the multispecific antibody may be introduced into the same or different host cells for expression. Thus, in some embodiments, the method for producing the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure comprises the step of: culturing a host cell comprising a nucleic acid encoding each chain of the molecule under a condition suitable for expressing the chain to produce the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure.
[0307] In one embodiment, provided is a vector comprising the nucleic acid. In one embodiment, the vector is an expression vector, e.g., a eukaryotic expression vector. The vector includes, but is not limited to, a virus, a plasmid, a cosmid, a λ phage, or a yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) . In one embodiment, the vector is, for example, a pcDNA vector, such as pcDNA3.1.
[0308] Several possible vector systems are available for the expression of cloned heavy chain and light chain polypeptides from nucleic acids in mammalian cells. One class of vectors relies upon the integration of the desired gene sequences into the host cell genome. Cells that have stably integrated DNA can be selected by simultaneously introducing drug resistance genes such as E. coli gpt (Mulligan and Berg (1981) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 78: 2072) or Tn5 neo (Southern and Berg (1982) Mol Appl Genet 1: 327) . The selectable marker gene can be either linked to the DNA gene sequences to be expressed or introduced into the same cell by co-transfection (Wigler et al. (1979) Cell 16: 77) . A second class of vectors utilizes DNA elements that confer autonomously replicating capabilities to an extrachromosomal plasmid. These vectors can be derived from animal viruses, such as bovine papillomavirus (Sarver et al. (1982) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 79: 7147) , CMV, polyoma virus (Deans et al. (1984) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 81: 1292) , or SV40 virus (Lusky and Botchan (1981) Nature 293: 79) .
[0309] The expression vectors can be introduced into cells in a manner suitable for subsequent expression of the nucleic acid. The method of introduction is largely dictated by the targeted cell type, discussed below. Exemplary methods include CaPO4 precipitation, liposome fusion, cationic liposomes, electroporation, nucleoporation, viral infection, dextran-mediated transfection, polybrene-mediated transfection, protoplast fusion, and direct microinjection. In some embodiments, the nucleic acid molecules encoding the multispecific antibodies of the present disclosure are synthetic sequences designed for the expression in a host cell (for example, a human cell) .
[0310] In one embodiment, provided is a host cell comprising the nucleic acid or the vector, e.g., for cloning or expressing a vector encoding the anti-BCMA antibody or the multispecific antibody. In one embodiment, the host cell is eukaryotic. In another embodiment, the host cell is selected from a yeast cell, a mammalian cell (e.g., a CHO cell (e.g., CHO-S, such as ExpiCHO-S) or 293 cell (e.g., 293F or HEK293 cell) ) , or other cells suitable for preparing an antibody or a fragment thereof. In one embodiment, the host cell is prokaryotic, e.g., a bacterium, such as E. coli.
[0311] In one embodiment, the host cell is eukaryotic. In another embodiment, the host cell is selected from yeast cells, mammalian cells, or other cells suitable for preparing an antibody or a fragment thereof. For example, eukaryotic microorganisms, such as filamentous fungi or yeast, are suitable cloning or expression hosts for the vector encoding the antibody. For example, fungus and yeast strains in which a glycosylation pathway has been “humanized” produce antibodies having a partial or full human glycosylation pattern. Host cells suitable for expressing a glycosylated antibody are also derived from multicellular organisms (invertebrates and vertebrates) . Vertebrate cells may also be used as hosts. For example, a mammalian cell line engineered to be suitable for suspension growth may be used. Other examples of useful mammalian host cell lines are monkey kidney CV1 line (COS-7) transformed with SV40, human embryonic kidney line (HEK293, 293F, or 293T cells) , and the like. Other useful mammalian host cell lines include Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, including DHFR-CHO cells, CHO-Scells, ExpiCHO, and the like; and myeloma cell lines such as Y0, NS0, and Sp2 / 0. Mammalian host cell lines suitable for producing antibodies are known in the art. In some embodiments, a multispecific antibody of the present disclosure can be produced by in vitro synthesis. XIII. Production and purification of multispecific antibody of the present disclosure
[0312] In one embodiment, provided is a method for preparing the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, wherein the method comprises culturing a host cell comprising a nucleic acid encoding the multispecific antibody (e.g., any one and / or more polypeptide chains) or an expression vector comprising the nucleic acid, as provided above, under a condition suitable for expressing the multispecific antibody or the chain thereof, and optionally recovering the multispecific antibody from the host cell (or the host cell medium) .
[0313] In some embodiments, a multispecific antibody of the present disclosure can be expressed in, and purified from, transgenic animals (e.g., transgenic mammals) . For example, an antibody can be produced in transgenic non-human mammals (e.g., rodents) and isolated from milk as described in, e.g., Houdebine (2002) Curr Opin Biotechnol 13 (6) : 625-629; van Kuik-Romeijn et al. (2000) Transgenic Res 9 (2) : 155-159; and Pollock et al. (1999) J Immunol Methods 231 (1-2) : 147-157.
[0314] Polynucleotides encoding the polypeptide chains of the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure may be inserted into one or more vectors for further cloning and / or expression in host cells. In some embodiments, expression vectors described herein may include a combination of nucleic acid molecules encoding a polypeptide chain of the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure. For example, the expression vectors described herein may comprise any one of the nucleic acid molecules encoding chain 1, chain 2, chain 3, or chain 4 of the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, as described above. In some embodiments, the expression vector may comprise a combination of at least two of or all three of the nucleic acid molecules encoding chain 1, chain 2, and chain 3 of the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the expression vector may further include a fourth nucleic acid molecule encoding chain 4 of the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure.
[0315] Methods known to those skilled in the art can be used to construct expression vectors. Once the expression vector comprising one or more nucleic acid molecules of the present disclosure has been prepared for expression, the expression vector may be transfected or introduced into suitable host cells. Various techniques may be used for this purpose, for example, protoplast fusion, calcium phosphate precipitation, electroporation, retroviral transduction, viral transfection, biolistics, liposome-based transfection, or other conventional techniques.
[0316] The multispecific antibody prepared as described herein may be purified by known prior art such as high-performance liquid chromatography, ion exchange chromatography, gel electrophoresis, affinity chromatography, and size exclusion chromatography. The actual conditions used for purifying a particular protein also depend on factors such as net charge, hydrophobicity, and hydrophilicity, and these will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
[0317] Such conditions for protein expression vary with the choice of the expression vector and the host cell and are easily ascertained by one skilled in the art through routine experimentation. For example, antibodies expressed in E. coli can be refolded from inclusion bodies (see, e.g., Hou et al. (1998) Cytokine 10: 319-30) . Bacterial expression systems and methods for their use are known in the art (see Ausubel et al. (1988) Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Wiley &Sons; and Green and Sambrook (2012) Molecular Cloning--ALaboratory Manual, 4th Ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York (2001)) . The choice of codons, suitable expression vectors and suitable host cells vary depending on a number of factors, and may be easily optimized as needed. A multispecific antibody described herein can be expressed in mammalian cells or in other expression systems including but not limited to yeast, baculovirus, and in vitro expression systems (see, e.g., Kaszubska et al. (2000) Protein Expression and Purification 18: 213-220) . Additional discussion of expression vectors for use in eukaryotic cells (e.g., for treating a subject with cancer) , along with suitable delivery systems, may be described in more detail in other embodiments.
[0318] One method of producing proteins comprising the provided multispecific antibodies is to link two or more peptides or polypeptides together by protein chemistry techniques. For example, peptides or polypeptides can be chemically synthesized using currently available laboratory equipment using either Fmoc (9-fluorenylmethyl-oxycarbonyl) or Boc (tert-butyloxycarbonoyl) chemistry (Applied Biosystems, Inc.; Foster City, CA) . Those of skill in the art readily appreciate that a peptide or polypeptide corresponding to the multispecific antibody provided herein, for example, can be synthesized by standard chemical reactions. For example, a peptide or polypeptide can be synthesized and not cleaved from its synthesis resin whereas the other fragment of an antibody can be synthesized and subsequently cleaved from the resin, thereby exposing a terminal group that is functionally blocked on the other fragment. By peptide condensation reactions, these two fragments can be covalently joined via a peptide bond at their carboxyl and amino termini, respectively, to form an antibody, or fragment thereof. (Grant GA (1992) Synthetic Peptides: A User Guide. W.H. Freeman and Co., N.Y. (1992) ; Bodansky M and Trost B., Ed. (1993) Principles of Peptide Synthesis. Springer Verlag Inc., NY) . Alternatively, the peptide or polypeptide can by independently synthesized in vivo. Once isolated, these independent peptides or polypeptides may be linked to form an antibody or fragment thereof via similar peptide condensation reactions.
[0319] For example, enzymatic ligation of cloned or synthetic peptide segments can allow relatively short peptide fragments to be joined to produce larger peptide fragments, polypeptides or whole protein domains (Abrahmsen et al., Biochemistry, 30: 4151 (1991)) . Alternatively, native chemical ligation of synthetic peptides can be utilized to synthetically construct large peptides or polypeptides from shorter peptide fragments. This method consists of a two step chemical reaction (Dawson et al., Science, 266: 776 779 (1994) ) . The first step is the chemoselective reaction of an unprotected synthetic peptide a thioester with another unprotected peptide segment containing an amino terminal Cys residue to give a thioester linked intermediate as the initial covalent product. Without a change in the reaction conditions, this intermediate undergoes spontaneous, rapid intramolecular reaction to form a native peptide bond at the ligation site. Application of this native chemical ligation method to the total synthesis of a protein molecule is illustrated by the preparation of human interleukin 8 (IL-8) (Baggiolini et al., FEBS Lett. 307: 97-101 (1992) ; Clark et al., J. Biol. Chem. 269: 16075 (1994) ; Clark et al., Biochemistry 30: 3128 (1991) ; Rajarathnam et al., Biochemistry 33: 6623-30 (1994)) .
[0320] Alternatively, unprotected peptide segments can be chemically linked where the bond formed between the peptide segments as a result of the chemical ligation is an unnatural (non-peptide) bond (Schnolzer et al., Science 256: 221 (1992) ) . This technique has been used to synthesize analogs of protein domains as well as large amounts of relatively pure proteins with full biological activity (deLisle et al., Techniques in Protein Chemistry IV. Academic Press, New York, pp. 257-267 (1992)) .
[0321] Following expression, the multispecific antibodies can be isolated. An multispecific antibody can be isolated or purified in a variety of ways known in the art depending on what other components are present in the sample. Standard purification methods include electrophoretic, molecular, immunological, and chromatographic techniques, including ion exchange, hydrophobic, affinity, and reverse-phase HPLC chromatography. For example, an antibody can be purified using a standard anti-antibody column (e.g., a protein-Aor protein-G column) . Ultrafiltration and diafiltration techniques, in conjunction with protein concentration, are also useful. See, e.g., Scopes (1994) Protein Purification, 3rd edition, Springer-Verlag, New York City, New York. The degree of purification necessary varies depending on the desired use. In some instances, no purification of the expressed antibody or fragments thereof is necessary.
[0322] The purity of the antibody and multispecific antibody molecules of the present disclosure may be determined by any one of a variety of well-known analytical methods e.g., Bradford assay, UV spectroscopy, Biuret protein assay, Lowry protein assay, amido black protein assay, high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) , mass spectrometry (MS) , and gel electrophoretic methods (e.g., using a protein stain such as Coomassie Blue or colloidal silver stain) . XIV. Assay method for bi / multispecific antibodies
[0323] The bi / multispecific antibodies provided herein may be identified, screened, or characterized for physical / chemical properties and / or biological activities thereof through a variety of assays known in the art.
[0324] In one aspect, the bi / multispecific antibodies of the present disclosure are assayed for their binding activity to a target (e.g., an antigen, e.g., a free antigen or an antigen expressed on a cell) , for example, by known methods such as bio-layer interferometry, ELISA, and flow cytometry. Methods known in the art may be used to determine the binding of the exemplary bispecific antibody of the present disclosure to CD3 and MUC16 (or CD3 and MUC16 expressed on a cell) , or to determine the binding of the exemplary trispecific antibody of the present disclosure to CD3, CD19, and BCMA (or CD3, CD19, and BCMA expressed on a cell) . Exemplary methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the binding is determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) , bio-layer interferometry (BLI) , electrochemiluminescence (ECL) , surface plasmon resonance (SPR) , or flow cytometry (FACS) .
[0325] The present disclosure further provides an assay method for identifying the biological activity of the multispecific antibody. The biological activity is selected from the properties of the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure. For example, the binding activity of the bi / multispecific antibody molecules of the present disclosure to a cell expressing CD3 and MUC16 or a cell expressing CD3, CD19, and BCMA may be determined by methods known in the art, such as fluorescent reporter molecule assay and flow cytometry, or by the exemplary methods disclosed in the examples herein, such as determining the binding of the bi / multispecific antibody molecules of the present disclosure to CD3 and MUC16 or CD3, CD19, and BCMA expressed on the cells. For example, the activation activity of the antibody molecule of the present disclosure on a T cell may be determined by methods known in the art, such as a T cell activation assay system (e.g., an NFAT-luc reporter gene system such as a Jurkat / NFAT-luc reporter gene system) . For example, the activation activity may be determined by the methods shown in the Examples, through detecting a CD3 signaling pathway in the T cell or through detecting the release of cytokines (e.g., interferons such as IFNγ; tumor necrosis factors such as TNFα and / or interleukins such as IL-6) following activation of the T cell. For example, the inhibitory activity or structural safety of the antibody molecule of the present disclosure against a tumor may be determined by methods known in the art, such as a tumor inhibition experiment conducted on a mouse tumor model. For the purpose of this application, “structural safety” or “safety” refers to the absence of, or minimal adverse effects resulting from, T cell overactivation following the administration of a multispecific antibody disclosed herein. Such adverse effects may include, but are not limited to, cytokine release syndrome (CRS) , as discussed in PCT publication WO / 2023 / 131328.
[0326] The cells for use in any of the in vitro assays described above are primary cells or cell lines, including cells naturally expressing or overexpressing MUC16 (e.g., human or monkey (such as cynomolgus monkey) MUC16) , such as cells overexpressing MUC16 (e.g., MUC16-positive cells) , T cells or 293 cells or CHO cells or Jurkat cells or ovarian cancer cells (e.g., HEK293 or CHO-K1 or Jurkat / NFAT-Luc cells or OVCAR3) ; or cells naturally expressing or overexpressing BCMA (e.g., human or monkey (such as cynomolgus monkey) BCMA) or CD19 (e.g., human CD19) , such as cells overexpressing BCMA or CD19 (e.g., BCMA and CD19-positive cells) . For example, the cells used are NCI-H929, MOLP-8, Raji, Nalm-6Daudi, Jeko-1, U2932, and the like. It will be understood that any of the assays described above may be performed using a combination of the antibody of the present disclosure and other active agents. XV. Immunoconjugate, pharmaceutical composition, pharmaceutical combination product, and kit of bi / multispecific antibodies of the present disclosure
[0327] In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides an immunoconjugate (e.g., an antibody-drug conjugate) comprising any of the bi / multispecific antibodies described herein. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides an immunoconjugate comprising any of the multispecific antibodies described herein. In some embodiments, the immunoconjugate comprises one or more additional therapeutic agents (e.g., cytotoxins or small molecule compounds) or markers. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a composition or a medicament or a formulation comprising any of the bi / multispecific antibodies described herein. In some embodiments, the composition is a pharmaceutical composition.
[0328] In one embodiment, the composition further comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient. In one embodiment, the composition, e.g., the pharmaceutical composition, comprises the bi / multispecific antibodies of the present disclosure, and a combination of one or more additional therapeutic agents. In some embodiments, the pharmaceutical composition or medicament, or formulation may include the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the pharmaceutical composition or medicament, or formulation may include the immunoconjugate as described herein.
[0329] The composition or the medicament or the formulation of the present disclosure may further comprise a suitable pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.
[0330] Suitable carriers and their formulations are described in Remington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacy, 21st Edition, Philip P. Gerbino, ed., Lippincott Williams &Wilkins (2006) . In certain embodiments, acceptable formulation materials preferably are nontoxic to recipients at the dosages and concentrations employed. In certain embodiments, the formulation material (s) are for subcutaneous and / or intravenous administration. In certain embodiments, the formulation comprises an appropriate amount of a pharmaceutically-acceptable salt to render the formulation isotonic. In certain embodiments, the pharmaceutical composition can contain formulation materials for modifying, maintaining or preserving, for example, the pH, osmolality, viscosity, clarity, color, isotonicity, odor, sterility, stability, rate of dissolution or release, adsorption or penetration of the composition. In certain embodiments, suitable formulation materials include, but are not limited to, amino acids (such as glycine, histidine, methionine, glutamine, asparagine, arginine or lysine) ; antimicrobials; antioxidants (such as ascorbic acid, sodium sulfite or sodium hydrogen-sulfite) ; buffers (such as borate, bicarbonate, Tris-HCl, citrates, phosphates or other organic acids) ; bulking agents (such as mannitol or glycine) ; chelating agents (such as ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA)) ; complexing agents (such as caffeine, polyvinylpyrrolidone, beta-cyclodextrin or hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin) ; fillers; monosaccharides, disaccharides, and other carbohydrates (such as glucose, mannose or dextrins) ; proteins (such as serum albumin, gelatin or immunoglobulins) ; coloring, flavoring and diluting agents; emulsifying agents; hydrophilic polymers (such as polyvinylpyrrolidone) ; low molecular weight polypeptides; salt-forming counterions (such as sodium) ; preservatives (such as benzalkonium chloride, benzoic acid, salicylic acid, thimerosal, phenethyl alcohol, methylparaben, propylparaben, chlorhexidine, sorbic acid or hydrogen peroxide) ; solvents (such as glycerin, propylene glycol or polyethylene glycol) ; sugar alcohols (such as mannitol or sorbitol) ; suspending agents; surfactants or wetting agents (such as pluronics, PEG, sorbitan esters, polysorbates such as polysorbate 20, polysorbate 80, triton, tromethamine, lecithin, cholesterol, tyloxapal) ; stability enhancing agents (such as sucrose or sorbitol) ; tonicity enhancing agents (such as alkali metal halides, preferably sodium or potassium chloride, mannitol sorbitol) ; delivery vehicles; diluents; excipients and / or pharmaceutical adjuvants. In certain embodiments, the optimal pharmaceutical composition is determined by one skilled in the art depending upon, for example, the intended route of administration, delivery format and desired dosage. See, for example, Remington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacy, 22nd Edition, Lloyd V. Allen, Jr., ed., The Pharmaceutical Press (2014) . In certain embodiments, such compositions may influence the physical state, stability, rate of in vivo release and / or rate of in vivo clearance of the multispecific antibody described herein.
[0331] As used herein, the “pharmaceutical carrier” includes any and all solvents, dispersion media, isotonic agents and absorption delaying agents, and the like that are physiologically compatible.
[0332] For use and application of the pharmaceutically acceptable excipients, see Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients, 8th Ed., R.C. Rowe, P. J. Seskey and S.C. Owen, Pharmaceutical Press, London, Chicago.
[0333] The composition or the medicament or the formulation of the present disclosure may be in a variety of forms. These forms include, for example, liquid, semi-solid, and solid dosage forms, such as liquid solutions (e.g., injectable solutions or eye drops) , pulvis or suspensions, liposomes, and suppositories. The preferred form depends on the intended mode of administration and therapeutic use.
[0334] The medicament or the formulation comprising the bi / multispecific antibodies described herein may be prepared by mixing the bi / multispecific antibodies of the present disclosure of the desired purity with one or more optional pharmaceutically acceptable excipients, e.g. in the form of a lyophilized formulation or an aqueous solution.
[0335] The composition or the medicament or the formulation of the present disclosure may further comprise more than one active ingredient required by a particular indication treated, preferably those having complementarity activity without adversely affecting one another. For example, it is desirable to further provide additional therapeutic agents.
[0336] In certain embodiments, the pharmaceutical composition can be selected for parenteral delivery (e.g., through injection by intravenous, intraperitoneal, intracerebral (intra-parenchymal) , intracerebral, intraventricular, intramuscular, subcutaneous, intra-ocular, intraarterial, intraportal, or intralesional routes) . Preparations for parenteral administration can be in the form of a pyrogen-free, parenterally acceptable aqueous solution (i.e., water, alcoholic / aqueous solutions, emulsions or suspensions, including saline and buffered media) comprising the multispecific antibody in a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle. Preparations for parenteral administration can also include 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. Parenteral vehicles include sodium chloride solution, Ringer’s dextrose, dextrose and sodium chloride, lactated Ringer’s , or fixed oils. Intravenous vehicles include fluid and nutrient replenishers, electrolyte replenishers (such as those based on Ringer’s dextrose) , and the like. Preservatives and other additives are optionally present such as, for example, antimicrobials, anti-oxidants, chelating agents, and inert gases and the like. In certain embodiments, the preparation can involve the formulation of the desired molecule with an agent, such as injectable microspheres, bio-erodible particles, polymeric compounds (such as polylactic acid or polyglycolic acid) , beads or liposomes, that can provide for the controlled or sustained release of the product which can then be delivered via a depot injection. In certain embodiments, hyaluronic acid can also be used, and can have the effect of promoting sustained duration in the circulation. In certain embodiments, implantable drug delivery devices can be used to introduce the desired molecule.
[0337] In certain embodiments, the compositions can be selected for inhalation or for delivery through the digestive tract, such as orally. Compositions for oral administration include powders or granules, suspension or solutions in water or non-aqueous media, capsules, sachets, or tables. Thickeners, flavorings, diluents, emulsifiers, dispersing aids or binders are optionally desirable.
[0338] In certain embodiments, the compositions can be selected for topical delivery. Formulations for topical administration include ointments, lotions, creams, gels, drops, suppositories, sprays, liquids, and powders. Conventional pharmaceutical carriers, aqueous, powder, or oily bases, thickeners and the like are optionally necessary or desirable.
[0339] In certain embodiments, the formulation components are present in concentrations that are acceptable to the site of administration. In certain embodiments, buffers are used to maintain the composition at physiological pH or at a slightly lower pH, typically within a pH range of from about 5 to about 8. For example, the pH may be 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 5.9, 6.0, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8.6.9, 6.9, 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8, 7.9, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, or 8.5. In some instances, the pH of the pharmaceutical composition, or medicament, or formulation may be in the range of 6.6-8.5 such as, for example, 7.0-8.5, 6.6-7.2, 6.8-7.2, 6.8-7.4, 7.2-7.8, 7.0-7.5, 7.5-8.0, 7.2-8.2, 7.6-8.5, or 7.8-8.3. In some instances, the pH of the pharmaceutical composition, or medicament, or formulation may be in the range of 5.5-7.5 such as, for example, 5.5-5.8, 5.5-6.0, 5.7-6.2, 5.8-6.5, 6.0-6.5, 6.2-6.8, 6.5-7.0, 6.8-7.2, or 6.8-7.5. In some instances, the pH of the pharmaceutical composition, or medicament, or formulation may be in the range of 4.0-5.5 such as, for example, 4.0-4.3, 4.0-4.5, 4.2-4.8, 4.5-4.8, 4.5-5.0, 4.8-5.2, or 5.0-5.5.
[0340] The present disclosure further provides a pharmaceutical combination or a pharmaceutical combination product comprising the bi / multispecific antibodies of the present disclosure and one or more additional therapeutic agents. In some embodiments, the one or more additional therapeutic agents include at least one of a chemotherapeutic agent, a cytokine, a cytotoxic agent, an additional antibody, a small molecule drug, or an immunomodulatory agent.
[0341] The present disclosure further provides a kit of parts, comprising the pharmaceutical combination, wherein, for example, the kit of parts comprises in the same package: -a first container containing a pharmaceutical composition comprising the bi / multispecific antibodies of the present disclosure; and -a second container containing a pharmaceutical composition comprising an additional therapeutic agent.
[0342] In some instances, one of the containers may comprise a multispecific antibody as described in this disclosure that is, or can be, detectably labeled. The kit may also have containers containing buffer (s) and / or a container comprising a reporter-means, such as a biotin-binding protein, such as avidin or streptavidin, bound to a reporter molecule, such as an enzymatic or fluorescent label. For example, a kit for imaging a tumor in a subject with a cancer is provided herein. In some embodiments, the kit comprises a container containing a labeled multispecific antibody. In some embodiments, the kit comprises separate containers containing a multispecific antibody and a detectable label. In some embodiments, the kit may be for detecting or treating and autoimmune disease.
[0343] A multispecific antibody of the present disclosure for use in treating cancer patients may be delivered in a pharmaceutical package or kit to doctors and cancer patients. Such packaging is intended to improve patient convenience and compliance with the treatment plan. Typically the packaging comprises paper (cardboard) or plastic. In some embodiments, the kit or pharmaceutical package further comprises instructions for use (e.g., for administering according to a method as described herein) .
[0344] In some embodiments, a pharmaceutical package or kit comprises unit dose forms of a multispecific antibody of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the pharmaceutical package or kit further comprises unit dose forms of one or more of a chemotherapeutic agent, a cytotoxic agent.
[0345] In one embodiment, the kit or pharmaceutical package comprises a multispecific antibody in a defined, therapeutically effective dose in a single unit dosage form or as separate unit doses. The dose and form of the unit dose (e.g., tablet, capsule, immediate release, delayed release, etc. ) can be any doses or forms as described herein.
[0346] In one embodiment, the kit or pharmaceutical package includes doses suitable for multiple days of administration, such as one week, one month, or three months.
[0347] In certain embodiments, kits are provided for producing a single-dose administration unit. In certain embodiments, kits containing single or multi-chambered pre-filled syringes are included. In certain embodiments, kits containing one or more containers of a formulation described in this disclosure are included.
[0348] In some embodiments, the additional therapeutic agent is, for example, a chemotherapeutic agent, a cytokine, a cytotoxic agent, an additional antibody, a small molecule drug, or an immunomodulatory agent (e.g., an immunosuppressive agent) .
[0349] As referred to herein, a chemotherapeutic agent is a chemical compound useful in the treatment of cancer. Examples of chemotherapeutic agents include erlotinib (such as Genentech / OSI Pharm. ) , bortezomib (such as Millenium Pharm. ) , fulvestrant (such as AstraZeneca) , sutent (such as SU11248, Pfizer) , letrozole (such as Novartis) , imatinib mesylate (such as Novartis) , PTK787 / ZK222584 (Novartis) , oxaliplatin (such as Sanofi) , 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) , leucovorin, rapamycin (also known as sirolimus) (such as Wyeth) , lapatinib (such as GSK572016, GlaxoSmithKline) , lonafarnib (such as SCH 66336) , sorafenib (such as BAY43-9006, Bayer Labs. ) , capecitabine (such as Roche) , docetaxel (such as ) , and gefitinib (such as Astrazeneca) , AG1478, AG1571 (such as SU 5271; Sugen Inc. ) , alkylating agents such as thiotepa and cyclosphosphamide (such as ) ; alkyl sulfonates such as busulfan, improsulfan and piposulfan; aziridines such as benzodopa, carboquone, meturedopa, and uredopa; ethylenimines and methylamelamines including altretamine, triethylenemelamine, triethylenephosphoramide, triethylenethiophosphoramide and trimethylomelamine; acetogenins (especially bullatacin and bullatacinone) ; a camptothecin (including the synthetic analogue topotecan) ; bryostatin; callystatin; CC-1065 (including its adozelesin, carzelesin and bizelesin synthetic analogues) ; cryptophycins (particularly cryptophycin 1 and cryptophycin 8) ; dolastatin; duocarmycin (including the synthetic analogues, KW-2189 and CB1-TM1) ; eleutherobin; pancratistatin; a sarcodictyin; spongistatin; nitrogen mustards such as chlorambucil, chlomaphazine, cholophosphamide, estramustine, ifosfamide, mechlorethamine, mechlorethamine oxide hydrochloride, melphalan, novembichin, phenesterine, prednimustine, trofosfamide, uracil mustard; nitrosoureas such as carmustine, chlorozotocin, fotemustine, lomustine, nimustine, and ranimnustine; antibiotics such as the enediyne antibiotics (e.g., calicheamicin, particularly calicheamicin γ1I and calicheamicin θ1I) ; dynemicin, including dynemicin A; bisphosphonates, such as clodronate; an esperamicin; as well as neocarzinostatin chromophore and related chromoprotein enediyne antibiotic chromophores) , aclacinomysins, actinomycin, anthramycin, azaserine, bleomycins, cactinomycin, carabicin, carminomycin, carzinophilin, chromomycinis, dactinomycin, daunorubicin, detorubicin, 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine, doxorubicin (such as including morpholino-doxorubicin, cyanomorpholino-doxorubicin, 2-pyrrolino-doxorubicin and deoxydoxorubicin) , epirubicin, esorubicin, idarubicin, marcellomycin, mitomycins such as mitomycin C, mycophenolic acid, nogalamycin, olivomycins, peplomycin, potfiromycin, puromycin, quelamycin, rodorubicin, streptonigrin, streptozocin, tubercidin, ubenimex, zinostatin, zorubicin; anti-metabolites such as methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) ; folic acid analogues such as denopterin, methotrexate, pteropterin, trimetrexate; purine analogs such as fludarabine, 6-mercaptopurine, thiamiprine, thioguanine; pyrimidine analogs such as ancitabine, azacitidine, 6-azauridine, carmofur, cytarabine, dideoxyuridine, doxifluridine, enocitabine, floxuridine; androgens such as calusterone, dromostanolone propionate, epitiostanol, mepitiostane, testolactone; anti-adrenals such as aminoglutethimide, mitotane, trilostane; folic acid replenisher such as frolinic acid; aceglatone; aldophosphamide glycoside; aminolevulinic acid; eniluracil; amsacrine; bestrabucil; bisantrene; edatraxate; defofamine; demecolcine; diaziquone; elfornithine; elliptinium acetate; an epothilone; etoglucid; gallium nitrate; hydroxyurea; lentinan; lonidainine; maytansinoids such as maytansine and ansamitocins; mitoguazone; mitoxantrone; mopidanmol; nitraerine; pentostatin; phenamet; pirarubicin; losoxantrone; podophyllinic acid; 2-ethylhydrazide; procarbazine; Trametes Versicolor polysaccharide-K (Krestin, PSK) (JHS Natural Products, Eugene, OR) ; razoxane; rhizoxin; sizofiran; spirogermanium; tenuazonic acid; triaziquone; 2, 2′, 2″-trichlorotriethylamine; trichothecenes (especially T-2 toxin, verracurin A, roridin A and anguidine) ; urethan; vindesine; dacarbazine; mannomustine; mitobronitol; mitolactol; pipobroman; gacytosine; cytarabine (cytosine arabinoside, “Ara-C” ) ; cyclophosphamide; thiotepa; taxoids, e.g., paclitaxel (such as Bristol-Myers Squibb Oncology, Princeton, N.J. ) , ABRAXANETM (a Cremophor-free, albumin-engineered nanoparticle formulation of paclitaxel (American Pharmaceutical Partners, Schaumberg, IL)) , and doxetaxel (such as Rorer, Antony, France) ; chloranbucil; gemcitabine (such as ) ; 6-thioguanine; mercaptopurine; methotrexate; platinum analogs such as cisplatin and carboplatin; vinblastine; platinum; etoposide (VP-16) ; ifosfamide; mitoxantrone; vincristine; vinorelbine (such as ) ; novantrone; teniposide; edatrexate; daunomycin; aminopterin; xeloda; ibandronate; CPT-11; topoisomerase inhibitor RFS 2000; difluorometlhylomithine (DMFO) ; retinoids such as retinoic acid; capecitabine; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, acids or derivatives of any of the above.
[0350] Chemotherapeutic agents, as used herein, also refers to (i) anti-hormonal agents that act to regulate or inhibit hormone action on tumors such as anti-estrogens and selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) , including, for example, tamoxifen (including tamoxifen) , raloxifene, droloxifene, 4-hydroxytamoxifen, trioxifene, keoxifene, LY 117018, onapristone, and toremifene (such as ) ; (ii) aromatase inhibitors that inhibit the enzyme aromatase, which regulates estrogen production in the adrenal glands, such as, for example, 4 (5) -imidazoles, aminoglutethimide, megestrol acetate (such as ) , exemestane (such as ) , formestanie, fadrozole, vorozole (such as ) , letrozole (such as ) , and anastrozole (such as ) ; (iii) anti-androgens such as flutamide, nilutamide, bicalutamide, leuprolide, and goserelin; as well as troxacitabine (a1, 3-dioxolane nucleoside cytosine analog) ; (iv) aromatase inhibitors; (v) protein kinase inhibitors; (vi) lipid kinase inhibitors; (vii) antisense oligonucleotides, particularly those which inhibit expression of genes in signaling pathways implicated in aberrant cell proliferation, such as, for example, PKC-alpha, Ralf and H-Ras; (viii) VEGF receptor and angiogenesis inhibitors (including ribozymes such as ) and a HER2 expression inhibitor; (ix) vaccines such as gene therapy vaccines, for example, vaccine (plasmid / lipid complex containing the DNA sequences encoding HLA-B7 and β2 microglobulin) , vaccine (plasmid DNA expression vector encoding interleukin-2 (IL-2) complexed with a lipid delivery vehicle (DMRIE / DOPE)) , and vaccine (patient-specific naked DNA vaccine) ; IL-2 or aldesleukin (such as );topoisomerase 1 inhibitors (such as ) ; gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists (such as ) ; (x) anti-angiogenic agents such as bevacizumab (such as Genentech) ; and (xi) pharmaceutically acceptable salts, acids or derivatives of any of the above.
[0351] In some instances, the treatment methods provided herein may further comprise administering an immunosuppressive agent such as an immune checkpoint inhibitor as part of the method. These treatments work by “taking the brakes off” the immune system (are immunosuppressive) , allowing it to mount a stronger and more effective attack against cancer. Several different types of checkpoint inhibitors, targeting different checkpoints or “brakes” on immune cells, are currently in use. Exemplary immunosuppressive agents are PD-1 inhibitors (such as nivolumab and pembrolizumab) , PD-L1 inhibitors (such as atezolizumab, durvalumab, and avelumab) , and CTLA-4 inhibitors (such as ipilimumab) . In one example, the second form of cancer therapy comprises a PD-L1 inhibitor, a PD-1 inhibitor, or a CTLA4 inhibitor. In some instances, combinations of such inhibitors can be administered. In some instances, the PD-L1 inhibitor, the PD-1 inhibitor, and / or the CTLA4 inhibitor may be an inhibitory antibody that binds specifically to PD-L1, PD-1, or CTLA4, respectively.
[0352] In some instances, the therapeutic agent is a cytotoxic agent. A cytotoxin or cytotoxic agent includes any agent that is detrimental to cells. Examples of toxins or toxin moieties include diphtheria, ricin, streptavidin, and modifications thereof. Additional examples include paclitaxel, cisplatin, carboplatin, cytochalasin B, gramicidin D, ethidium bromide, emetine, etoposide, tenoposide, colchicin, dihydroxy anthracin dione, mitoxantrone, mithramycin, actinomycin D, 1-dehydrotestosterone, glucocorticoids, procaine, tetracaine, lidocaine, propranolol, puromycin and analogs or homologs thereof. Therapeutic agents include, but are not limited to, antimetabolites (e.g., methotrexate, 6-mercaptopurine, 6-thioguanine, cytarabine, 5-fluorouracil, decarbazine) , alkylating agents (e.g., mechlorethamine, thiotepa, chlorambucil, melphalan, carmustine (BSNU) and lomustine (CCNU) , cyclothosphamide, busulfan, dibromomannitol, streptozotocin, mitomycin C, and cis-dichlorodiamine platinum (II) (DDP) cisplatin) , anthracyclines (e.g., daunorubicin (formerly daunomycin) and doxorubicin) , antibiotics (e.g., dactinomycin (formerly actinomycin) , bleomycin, mithramycin, and anthramycin (AMC) ) , and anti-mitotic agents (e.g., vincristine and vinblastine) . Cytotoxic peptides such as auristatin (antineoplastic) peptides auristatin E (AE) and monomethylauristatin (MMAE) , which are synthetic analogs of dolastatin, may also be conjugated to the multispecific antibody as described herein. In some instances, the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure may be conjugated to a radioactive metal ion. XVI. Use of bi / multispecific antibodies and methods for using the same
[0353] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for preventing or treating a disease or condition in a subject, comprising administering to the subject the bi / multispecific antibodies, or the immunoconjugate, the composition or the medicament or the formulation comprising the same of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a method for specifically activating a T cell in a subject, comprising administering to the subject the antibody or bi / multispecific antibodies, or the immunoconjugate, the composition or the medicament or the formulation comprising the same of the present disclosure. For example, the method for preventing or treating a disease in a subject may include administering to the subject an effective amount of the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure, the immunoconjugate, or the pharmaceutical composition, medicament, or formulation comprising the multispecific antibody of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the disease can be treated by a therapy that results in activation of the CD3 signaling pathway.
[0354] In some embodiments, the method may further include administering a second therapy comprising at least one of a second therapeutic agent, a surgical therapy or a radiotherapy. In some embodiments, the second therapeutic agent is a chemotherapeutic agent, a cytokine, a cytotoxic agent, an additional antibody, a small molecule drug, or an immunomodulatory agent.
[0355] In some embodiments, the disease or condition can be treated by a therapy that results in activation of a CD3 signaling pathway and / or activation of T cells. In some embodiments, the disease or condition is a cancer, an autoimmune disease, a B-cell mediated inflammatory disease, or organ transplant rejection. In some instances, the disease or condition is both an autoimmune disease and a B-cell mediated inflammatory disease.
[0356] In some embodiments, the disease or condition is, for example, a tumor, e.g., a cancer. The cancer may be at an early, intermediate or advanced stage, or may be a metastatic cancer. In some embodiments, the tumor may be a solid tumor or a hematological tumor. In some embodiments, the tumor is a myeloma, e.g., multiple myeloma such as metastatic multiple myeloma, colon cancer, rectal cancer, or colorectal cancer. In some embodiments, the cancer is a renal cancer, a pancreatic cancer, a lung cancer, an ovarian cancer, a bladder cancer, a melanoma, a prostate cancer, a breast cancer, a glioma, a neuroectodermal cancer, a lymphoma, a multiple myeloma, a leukemia, or a blood cancer. In some embodiments, the disease or condition is a BCMA positive cancer. In some embodiments, the disease or condition is a CD19 positive cancer. In some embodiments, the disease or condition is a BCMA positive and CD19 positive cancer.
[0357] In some embodiments, the disease or condition is an autoimmune disease and / or a B-cell mediated inflammatory disease. In some embodiments, the disease or condition is an autoimmune disease and a B-cell mediated inflammatory disease. In some embodiments, the autoimmune disease may be an inflammatory disease or a non-inflammatory disease. In some embodiments, the disease or condition is a BCMA positive autoimmune disease. In some embodiments, the disease or condition is a CD19 positive autoimmune disease. In some embodiments, the disease or condition is a BCMA positive and CD19 positive autoimmune disease. In some embodiments, the disease or condition is, for example, an autoimmune disease, and the immune response may be mediated by a humoral immune response or a cellular immune response.
[0358] In some embodiments, B-cell mediated inflammatory disease may be characterized by the involvement of B-cells in the pathogenesis of inflammatory conditions, primarily through their role in generating autoantibodies and autoimmune responses. B-cell mediated disease may include cancer, autoimmune disease, non-autoimmune inflammatory disease, and transplantation rejection. Some non-limiting examples of a non-autoimmune inflammatory disease include type 2 diabetes and periodontal disease. In some examples, B-cell mediated inflammatory conditions may include graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) . For example, B-cells may contribute to GVHD by producing auto-reactive antibodies, acting as antigen-presenting cells, and modulating T cell response.
[0359] In some embodiments, the autoimmune disease and / or a B-cell mediated inflammatory disease can include skin diseases, ophthalmic diseases, kidney diseases, blood diseases, neurological diseases, orthopedic diseases, digestive system diseases, endocrine disease, and respiratory diseases. In some non-limiting examples, the autoimmune disease and / or or B-cell mediated inflammatory disease can include myasthenia gravis, Sjogren’s syndrome, inflammatory myopathies, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, anti-phospholipid syndrome, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, immune thrombocytopenia, ANCA-associated vasculitis, vasculitis including polymyalgia rheumatica, Takayasu’s arteritis, Buerger’s disease, Henoch-Schonlein Purpura, Churg-Strauss Syndrome, hemolytic anemia (including autoimmune hemolytic anemia) , systemic lupus erythematosus, cutaneous lupus erythematosus, lupus nephritis, rheumatic diseases, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) , including multi-drug-resistant RA, mixed connective tissue diseases, ankylosing spondylitis, multiple sclerosis (MS) , neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, autoimmune encephalitis, immune-mediated or type 1 diabetes, immune-mediated glomerulonephritis such as membranous nephropathy (PLA2R-positive or THSD7A-positive) , IgA nephropathy, scleroderma / systemic sclerosis (SSc) , blood diseases, aplastic anemia, pernicious anemia, ophthalmic diseases, optic neuritis, alopecia, pemphigus, pemphigus vulgaris, bullous pemphigoid, inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, autoimmune thyroid diseases, Hashimoto’s disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Graves disease, Addison’s disease, dermatomyositis, polymoyositis, Goodpasture’s syndrome, pseudoparalytic myasthenia gravis, phakogene uveitis, chronic aggressive hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, vitiligo vulgaris, vitiligo, Behcet’s syndrome, collagen diseases, uveitis, autoimmune myocarditis, autoimmune liver diseases, autoimmune gastritis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, HTLV-1-related myelopathy, IgG4-related disease, or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, and the like. In some embodiments, the treatment of the disease will benefit from activation of a CD3 signaling pathway and / or activation of T cells.
[0360] In some embodiments, the cancer or autoimmune disease is a BCMA-positive cancer or autoimmune disease. In some embodiments, the BCMA-positive cancer or autoimmune disease is characterized by the presence of, or elevated levels of BCMA protein and / or nucleic acids in a patient with the cancer or autoimmune disease (e.g., in the tissues or cells or serum of the patient's cancer) (e.g., compared to the BCMA protein and / or nucleic acid levels in the same tissue or serum of a healthy individual, or compared to the BCMA protein and / or nucleic acid levels in the adjacent healthy tissue of the patient) . For example, the tumor cells of the cancer may have or exhibit elevated levels of BCMA protein and / or nucleic acids (e.g., compared to the BCMA protein and / or nucleic acid levels in the cells of the same tissue of a healthy individual, or compared to the BCMA protein and / or nucleic acid levels in the healthy cells of the same tissue or in the cells of the adjacent healthy tissue of the patient) . For another example, the serum of a patient with the autoimmune disease may have or exhibit elevated levels of BCMA protein and / or nucleic acids (e.g., compared to the BCMA protein and / or nucleic acid levels in the serum of a healthy individual) .
[0361] In some embodiments, the cancer or autoimmune disease is a CD19-positive cancer or autoimmune disease. In some embodiments, the CD19-positive cancer or autoimmune disease is characterized by the presence of, or elevated levels of CD19 protein and / or nucleic acids in a patient with the cancer or autoimmune disease (e.g., in the tissues or cells or serum of the patient's cancer) (e.g., compared to the CD19 protein and / or nucleic acid levels in the cells of the same tissue or serum of a healthy individual, or compared to the CD19 protein and / or nucleic acid levels in the cells or serum of the adjacent healthy tissue of the patient) . For example, the tumor cells of the cancer may have or exhibit elevated levels of CD19 protein and / or nucleic acids (e.g., compared to the CD19 protein and / or nucleic acid levels in the cells of the same tissue of a healthy individual, or compared to the CD19 protein and / or nucleic acid levels in the healthy cells of the same tissue or in the cells of the adjacent healthy tissue of the patient) . For another example, the serum of a patient with the autoimmune disease may have or exhibit elevated levels of CD19 protein and / or nucleic acids (e.g., compared to the CD19 protein and / or nucleic acid levels in the serum of a healthy individual) .
[0362] In some embodiments, the disease or condition is organ or tissue transplant rejection. B-cells may play a multifaceted role in transplant rejection, acting as both detrimental and beneficial players in the immune response. They can contribute to allograft rejection by producing antibodies that target the transplanted organ, leading to antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) . Similarly, during transplantation, B cells can produce donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) . These antibodies promote acute and chronic rejection by activating complement which causes vascular injury and allograft loss. In some embodiments, organ transplant rejection comprises rejection following transplantation of kidney, heart, lung, liver, small intestines, pancreas, uterus, thymus. In some embodiments, the tissue transplant rejection comprises rejection following transplantation of bone, cartilage, tendon, cornea, pancreatic islets, skin, heart tissue (such as heart valves) , nerves, or veins.
[0363] The bi / multispecific antibodies of the present disclosure (as well as the immunoconjugate, the composition, the pharmaceutical composition, the formulation, the combination product or the like comprising the same) may be administered by any suitable method, including parenteral administration, intrapulmonary administration, intranasal administration, and, if required by locoregional treatment, intralesional administration. Parenteral injection or infusion includes intramuscular, intravenous, intra-arterial, intraperitoneal or subcutaneous injection or infusion. The administration may be performed by any suitable route, such as injection, e.g., intravenous or subcutaneous injection, to some extent depending on short-term or long-term treatment. Various administration schedules are encompassed herein, including, but not limited to, single administration or multiple administrations at multiple time points, bolus injection, and pulse infusion.
[0364] In order to prevent or treat the disease or condition, the appropriate dosage of the bi / multispecific antibodies (as well as the immunoconjugate, the composition, the pharmaceutical composition, the formulation, the combination product or the like comprising the same) of the present disclosure (when used alone or in combination with one or more additional therapeutic agents) will depend on the type of the disease to be treated, the type of the antibody, the severity and progression of the disease, purpose of administration (prophylactic or therapeutic) , previous therapies, clinical histories of patients, responses to the antibody, and the discretion of an attending physician. The antibody is suitably administered to a patient through a single treatment or through a series of treatments. In other aspects, the present disclosure provides use of the bi / multispecific antibodies of the present disclosure, or the immunoconjugate or the composition or the combination product comprising the same in producing or preparing a medicament for the use described herein, e.g., for use in the prevention or treatment of the related disease or disorder mentioned herein.
[0365] In some embodiments, the bi / multispecific antibodies (as well as the immunoconjugate, the composition, the pharmaceutical composition, the formulation or the like comprising the same) may also be administered in combination with one or more additional therapies, e.g., therapeutic modalities and / or additional therapeutic agents, for the use described herein, e.g., for use in the prevention and / or treatment of the related disease or disorder mentioned herein.
[0366] In some embodiments, the therapeutic modal...
Claims
1.An antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof binding to CD3, comprising a CD3 heavy chain variable region and a CD3 light chain variable region, whereinthe CD3 heavy chain variable region comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3, the HCDR1 comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 (TYAMN) , the HCDR2 comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2 (RIRSKYNNYX1TYYADSVKD) , and the HCDR3 comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 3 (HX2NFGNSYVSWFAX3) , wherein X1, X2, and X3 are any amino acid and at least two of them are D or E, respectively; andthe CD3 light chain variable region comprises an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3, the LCDR1 comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4 (RSSTGAVTTSNYAN) , the LCDR2 comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5 (GTNKRAP) , and the LCDR3 comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6 (ALWYSNLWV) .2.The antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof according to claim 1, wherein the HCDR2 comprises a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 7, 44, and 71-72, and the HCDR3 comprises a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 8 and 73-79; and preferably, the HCDR2 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7, and the HCDR3 comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 8.3.The antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the CD3 heavy chain variable region comprises or consists of a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 9 and 80-90, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 9 and 80-90, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 9 and 80-90, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region; andthe CD3 light chain variable region comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region.4.A bispecific antibody, comprising a BsAb first antigen-binding region and a BsAb second antigen-binding region, wherein the BsAb first antigen-binding region specifically binds to CD3 and comprises the CD3 heavy chain variable region and the CD3 light chain variable region according to any one of claims 1-3; and the BsAb second antigen-binding region specifically binds to a tumor-associated antigen, preferably, the tumor-associated antigen being MUC16.5.The bispecific antibody according to claim 4, wherein the BsAb second antigen-binding region comprises a MUC16 heavy chain variable region and / or a MUC16 light chain variable region, wherein:the MUC16 heavy chain variable region:(i) comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 derived from a heavy chain variable region consisting of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14;(ii) comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15, SEQ ID NO: 16, and SEQ ID NO: 17, respectively, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15, SEQ ID NO: 16, and SEQ ID NO: 17, respectively; or(iii) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region; andthe MUC16 light chain variable region:(i) comprises an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3 derived from a light chain variable region consisting of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18;(ii) comprises an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19, SEQ ID NO: 20, and SEQ ID NO: 21, respectively, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19, SEQ ID NO: 20, and SEQ ID NO: 21, respectively; or(iii) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region.6.The bispecific antibody according to claim 4 or 5, comprising:(1) a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the BsAb first antigen-binding region and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) , wherein the BsAb first antigen-binding region is an scFv;(2) a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region (e.g., the MUC16 heavy chain variable region) of the BsAb second antigen-binding region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) ; and(3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region (e.g., the MUC16 light chain variable region) of the BsAb second antigen-binding region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) ,wherein the Fc region in the chain 1 and the Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer;preferably, the BsAb first antigen-binding region in the chain 1 comprises or consists of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 11 and 91-101, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 11 and 91-101; the MUC16 heavy chain variable region in the chain 2 comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14; and the MUC16 light chain variable region in the chain 3 comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18.7.A multispecific antibody, comprising a TsAb first antigen-binding region, a TsAb second antigen-binding region, and a TsAb third antigen-binding region, wherein the TsAb first antigen-binding region specifically binds to CD3 and comprises the CD3 heavy chain variable region and the CD3 light chain variable region according to any one of claims 1-3; the TsAb second antigen-binding region and the TsAb third antigen-binding region each specifically bind to different tumor-associated antigens; and preferably, the TsAb second antigen-binding region specifically binds to CD19, and the TsAb third antigen-binding region specifically binds to BCMA.8.The multispecific antibody according to claim 7, wherein the TsAb third antigen-binding region is a BCMA VHH binding to BCMA, which(1) comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 derived from a VHH consisting of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27;(2) comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 28, SEQ ID NO: 29, and SEQ ID NO: 30, respectively, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 28, SEQ ID NO: 29, and SEQ ID NO: 30, respectively; or(3) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region.9.The multispecific antibody according to any one of claims 7 or 8, wherein the TsAb second antigen-binding region comprises a CD19 heavy chain variable region and a CD19 light chain variable region, whereinthe CD19 heavy chain variable region:(i) comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 derived from a heavy chain variable region consisting of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31;(ii) comprises an HCDR1, an HCDR2, and an HCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, SEQ ID NO: 33, and SEQ ID NO: 34, respectively, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, SEQ ID NO: 33, and SEQ ID NO: 34, respectively; or(iii) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region; andthe CD19 light chain variable region:(i) comprises an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3 derived from a light chain variable region consisting of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35;(ii) comprises an LCDR1, an LCDR2, and an LCDR3 comprising or consisting of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 36, SEQ ID NO: 37, and SEQ ID NO: 38, respectively, or comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having one, two, or three modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 36, SEQ ID NO: 37, and SEQ ID NO: 38, respectively; or(iii) comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having one or more (preferably no more than 10, and more preferably no more than 5) amino acid modifications (preferably amino acid substitutions, and more preferably conservative substitutions) compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35, wherein preferably, the amino acid modifications do not occur in CDR regions, and more preferably, the amino acid modifications occur in FR regions, e.g., an FR1, FR2, FR3, or FR4 region.10.The multispecific antibody according to any one of claims 7-9, wherein the TsAb first antigen-binding region is a Fab or scFv; and / or the TsAb second antigen-binding region is a Fab or scFv; andwhen the TsAb first antigen-binding region and / or the TsAb second antigen-binding region is a Fab, a heavy chain of the Fab comprises a CH1, wherein the CH1 is a CH1 from IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, or IgG4, preferably a CH1 from IgG1; and a light chain of the Fab comprises a CL.11.The multispecific antibody according to any one of claims 7-10, wherein the TsAb first antigen-binding region is an scFv, and the TsAb second antigen-binding region is a Fab, the multispecific antibody comprising:(1) a chain 1: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, the TsAb third antigen-binding region and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) , wherein the TsAb third antigen-binding region is a VHH (e.g., the BCMA VHH) ;(2) a chain 2: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a heavy chain variable region (e.g., the CD19 heavy chain variable region) of the TsAb second antigen-binding region, a heavy chain constant region (e.g., CH1) , the TsAb first antigen-binding region, and an Fc region (e.g., CH2-CH3) , wherein the TsAb first antigen-binding region is an scFv; and(3) a chain 3: comprising, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a light chain variable region (e.g., the CD19 light chain variable region) of the TsAb second antigen-binding region and a light chain constant region (e.g., CL) ,wherein the Fc region in the chain 1 and the Fc region in the chain 2 may be identical or different, and form an Fc dimer;preferably, the TsAb third antigen-binding region in the chain 1 comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27; the CD19 heavy chain variable region in the chain 2 comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31; and the TsAb first antigen-binding region comprises or consists of the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 11 and 91-101, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 11 and 91-101; and the CD19 light chain variable region in the chain 3 comprises or consists of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, or 99%identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 35.12.The bispecific antibody according to claim 6 or the multispecific antibody according to claim 11, wherein the two Fc regions are different, and a corresponding knob mutation (s) and a corresponding hole mutation (s) are introduced into the two Fc regions, respectively, wherein(1) one Fc-region polypeptide comprises a knob mutation T366W, and the other Fc-region polypeptide comprises hole mutations T366S, L368A, and Y407V, or(2) one Fc-region polypeptide comprises knob mutations T366W and Y349C, and the other Fc-region polypeptide comprises hole mutations T366S, L368A, Y407V, and S354C, or(3) one Fc-region polypeptide comprises knob mutations T366W and S354C, and the other Fc-region polypeptide comprises hole mutations T366S, L368A, Y407V, and Y349C;and optionally, the Fc region further comprises a mutation (s) that reduces binding to the Fcγ receptor, e.g., one or more of an L234A / L235A mutation, a D265A mutation, and a P329A mutation, for example, an L234A / L235A mutation, a D265A mutation, and a P329A mutation.13.The bispecific antibody or the multispecific antibody according to claim12, wherein(1) the Fc region comprising a knob mutation (s) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59, 64, or 65, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity, e.g., 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or more identity, to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59, 64, or 65 and comprising knob mutations (e.g., T366W or S354C and T366W or Y349C and T366W) ; and / or(2) the Fc region comprising a hole mutation (s) comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 58, 66, or 67, or comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having at least 90%identity, e.g., 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or more identity, to an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 58, 66, or 67 and comprising hole mutations (e.g., T366S, L368A, and Y407V or Y349C, T366S, L368A, and Y407V or T366S, L368A, Y407V, and S354C) .14.A nucleic acid molecule, encoding the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof according to any one of claims 1-3, any one of the chains of the bispecific antibody according to any one of claims 4-6 and 12-13, or any one of the chains of the multispecific antibody according to any one of 7-13, or consisting of a nucleic acid sequence.15.An expression vector, comprising the nucleic acid molecule according to claim 14.16.A host cell, comprising the nucleic acid molecule according to claim 14 or the expression vector according to claim 15, wherein preferably, the host cell is prokaryotic or eukaryotic, e.g., a 293 cell or a CHO cell, such as a 293F cell or a 293T cell or a CHO-Scell.17.A method for preparing the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof according to any one of claims 1-3, the bispecific antibody according to any one of claims 4-6 and 12-13, or the multispecific antibody according to any one of claims 7-13, the method comprising culturing a host cell comprising the nucleic acid molecule according to claim 14 or the expression vector according to claim 15 under a condition suitable for expressing the chains of the antibody, and optionally recovering the antibody from the host cell (or a host cell culture medium) .18.An immunoconjugate, comprising the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof according to any one of claims 1-3, the bispecific antibody according to any one of claims 4-6 and 12-13, or the multispecific antibody according to any one of claims 7-13.19.A pharmaceutical composition or a medicament or a formulation, comprising the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof according to any one of claims 1-3, the bispecific antibody according to any one of claims 4-6 and 12-13, or the multispecific antibody according to any one of claims 7-13, or the immunoconjugate according to claim 18, and optionally a pharmaceutical supplementary material.20.A pharmaceutical combination product, comprising the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof according to any one of claims 1-3, the bispecific antibody according to any one of claims 4-6 and 12-13, the multispecific antibody according to any one of claims 7-13, or the immunoconjugate according to claim 18, and one or more additional therapeutic agents (e.g., a chemotherapeutic agent, a cytokine, a cytotoxic agent, an additional antibody, a small molecule drug, or an immunomodulatory agent) .21.A method for preventing or treating a cancer or autoimmune disease in a subject, comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of the antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof according to any one of claims 1-3, the bispecific antibody according to any one of claims 4-6 and 12-13, or the multispecific antibody according to any one of claims 7-13, or the immunoconjugate according to claim 18, or the pharmaceutical composition or the medicament or the formulation according to claim 19, or the pharmaceutical combination product according to claim 20, wherein preferably, the treatment of the cancer or autoimmune disease will benefit from activation of a CD3 signaling pathway and / or activation of T cells, and more preferably, the cancer or autoimmune disease is a BCMA-positive and / or CD19-positive cancer or autoimmune disease.22.The method according to claim 21, further comprising administering in combination with an additional therapy such as a therapeutic modality (e.g., surgical therapy or radiotherapy) and / or an additional therapeutic agent (e.g., a chemotherapeutic agent, a cytokine, a cytotoxic agent, an additional antibody, a small molecule drug, or an immunomodulatory agent) .
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