Interleukin-31 monoclonal antibody

1. An isolated antibody, or antigen-binding portion thereof comprising at least one of the following combinations of complementary determining region (CDR) sequences:

1) 11E12: variable heavy (VH)-CDR1 of SEQ ID NO: 1, VH-CDR2 of SEQ ID NO: 4, VH-CDR3 of SEQ ID NO: 7, variable light (VL)-CDR1 of SEQ ID NO: 10, VL-CDR2 of SEQ ID NO: 13, and VL-CDR3 of SEQ ID NO: 16;

2) 19D07: VH-CDR1 of SEQ ID NO: 2, VH-CDR2 of SEQ ID NO: 5, VH-CDR3 of SEQ ID NO: 8, VL-CDR1 of SEQ ID NO: 11, VL-CDR2 of SEQ ID NO: 14, and VL-CDR3 of SEQ ID NO 17; or

3) 34D03: VH-CDR1 of SEQ ID NO: 3, VH-CDR2 of SEQ ID NO: 6, VH-CDR3 of SEQ ID NO: 9, VL-CDR1 of SEQ ID NO: 12, VL-CDR2 of SEQ ID NO: 15, and VL-CDR3 of SEQ ID NO: 18.

2. The antibody of claim 1 , wherein said antibody reduces, inhibits, or neutralizes an IL-31-mediated pruritic or allergic condition.

3. The antibody of claim 1 , wherein said antibody is a monoclonal antibody.

4. The antibody of claim 3 , wherein the antibody is chimeric.

5. The antibody of claim 3 , wherein the antibody is caninized or felinized.

6. The antibody of claim 1 , wherein said antibody reduces, inhibits, or neutralizes IL-31 activity in a dog or cat.

7. The antibody of claim 1 comprising at least one of the group consisting of:

a) a variable light chain comprising

(SEQ ID NO: 19; MU-11E12-VL)

DIVLTQSPASLAVSLGQRATISCRASESVDNYGISFMHWYQQKPGQPPKLLIYRASNLESGIPAR

FSGSGSRTDFTLTINPVETDDVATYYCQQSNKDPLTFGAGTKLELK,

(SEQ ID NO: 20; CAN-11E12-VL-cUn-FW2)

DIVMTQTPLSLSVSPGEPASISCRASESVDNYGISFMHWYQQKPGQPPKLLIYRASNLESGVPD

RFSGSGSGTDFTLRISRVEADDAGVYYCQQSNKOPLTFGAGTKLEIK,

(SEQ ID NO; 21; CAN-11E12-VL-cUn-13)

DIVMTQTPLSLSVSPGEPASISCRASESVDNYGISFMHWFQQKPGQSPQLLIYRASNLESGVPD

RFSGSGSGTDFTLRISRVEADDAGVYYCQQSNKDPLTFGAGTKLEIK,

(SEQ ID NO: 22; MU-19D07-VL)

DIVMSQSPSSLSVSAGDKVTMSCKSSQSLLNSGNQKNYLAWYQQKPWQPPKLLIYGASTRES

GVPDRFTGSGSGTDFTLTISSVQAEDLAVYYCQNDYSYPYTFGGGTKLEIK,

(SEQ ID NO: 23; CAN-19D07-VL-998-1)

EIVMTQSPASLSLSQEEKVTITCKSSQSLLNSGNQKNYLAWYQQKPGQAPKLLIYGASTRESGV

PSRFSGSGSGTDFSFTISSLEPEDVAVYYCQNDYSYPYTFGQGTKLEIK,

(SEQ ID NO: 24; MU-34D03-VL)

DILLTQSPASLAVSLGQRAIISCKASQSVSFAGTGLMHWYQQKPGQQPKLLIYRASNLEAGVPT

RFSGSGSRTDFTLNIHPVEEEDAATYFCQQSREYPWTFGGGTKLEIK,

or

(SEQ ID NO: 25; CAN-34D03-VL-998-1)

EIVMTQSPASLSLSQEEKVTITCKASQSVSFAGTGLMHWYQQKPGQAPKLLIYRASNLEAGVPS

RFSGSGSGTDFSFTISSLEPEDVAVYYCQQSREYPWTFGQGTKLEIK;

 and

b) a variable heavy chain comprising

(SEQ ID NO: 26; MU-11E12-VH)

QVQLQQSGAELVKPGASVKLSCKASGYTFKYYDINWVRQRPEQGLEWIG

WIFPGDGGTKYNETFKGKATLTTDKSSSTAYMQLSRLTSEDSAVYFCAR

GGTSVIRDAMDYWGQGTSVTVSS,

(SEQ ID NO: 27; CAN-11E12-VH-415-1)

EVQLVQSGAEVKKPGASVKVSCKTSGYTFKYYDINWVRQAPGAGLDWM

GWIFPGDGGTKYNETFKGRVTLTADTSTSTAYMELSSLRAGDIAVYYC

ARGGTSVIRDAMDYWGQGTLVTVSS,

(SEQ ID NO: 28; MU-19D07-VH)

EVKLVESGGGLVKPGGSLKLSCAASGFAFSSYDMSWVRQIPEKRLEWVA

TITSGGGYTYSADSVKGRFTISRDNARNTLYLQMSSLRSEDTAVYYCAR

QNWVVGLAYWGQGTLVTVSA,

(SEQ ID NO: 29; CAN-19D07-VH-400-1)

EVQLVESGGDLVKPGGSLRLSCVASGFTFSSYDMSWVRQAPGKGLQWVA

TITSGGGYTYSADSVKGRFTISRDNARNTLYLQMNSLRSEDTAVYYCAR

QNWVVGLAYWGQGTLVTVSS,

(SEQ ID NO: 30; MU-34D03-VH)

EVQLVESGGDLVKPGGSLKLSCAASGFSFSNYGMSWVRQTPDKRLEWVA

TISYGGSYTYYPDNIKGRFTISRDNAKNTLYLQMSSLKSEDTAMYYCVR

GYGYDTMDYWGQGTSVTVSS,

or

(SEQ ID NO: 31; CAN-34D03-VH-568-1)

EVQLVESGGDLVKPGGSLRLSCVASGFTFSNYGMSWVRQAPGKGLQWVA

TISYGGSYTYYPDNIKGRFTISRDNAKNTLYLQMNSLRAEDTAMYYCVR

GYGYDTMDYWGQGTLVTVSS.

8. A veterinary composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of the antibody of claim 1 .

9. A monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to a region between about amino acid residues 95 and 125 of the canine IL-31 amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 32 or a corresponding region in feline IL-31.

10. The antibody of claim 9 , wherein the antibody specifically binds to a region between about amino acid residues 102 and 122 of the canine IL-31 sequence of SEQ ID NO: 32 or a corresponding region in feline IL-31.

11. The antibody of claim 9 , wherein the antibody specifically binds to a region between about amino acid residues 95 and 125 of the canine IL-31 amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 32.

12. The antibody of claim 9 , wherein the antibody is chimeric.

13. The antibody of claim 9 , wherein the antibody is caninized or felinized.

14. The antibody of claim 9 , wherein said antibody reduces, inhibits, or neutralizes an IL-31-mediated pruritic or allergic condition.

15. A method of treating an IL-31-mediated pruritic or allergic condition in a subject, comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of the antibody of claim 14 to the subiect.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the IL-31-mediated pruritic or allergic condition is a pruritic condition selected from the group consisting of atopic dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, scleroderma, and pruritis.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the IL-31-mediated pruritic or allergic condition is an allergic condition is selected from the group consisting of allergic dermatitis, summer eczema, urticaria, heaves, inflammatory airway disease, recurrent airway obstruction, airway hyper-responsiveness, chronic obstruction pulmonary disease, and inflammatory processes resulting from autoimmunity.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the antibody is administered biweekly or monthly.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the antibody is administered subcutaneously at 1.0 mg/kg of body weight.

20. The antibody of claim 9 , wherein said antibody reduces, inhibits, or neutralizes IL-31 activity in a dog or cat.

21. A method of inhibiting IL-31 activity in a dog or cat comprising administering an antibody according to claim 20 to the dog or cat.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the antibody is administered biweekly or monthly.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the antibody is administered subcutaneously at 1.0 mg/kg of body weight.

24. A veterinary composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of the antibody of claim 9 .

25. A method of detecting IL-31 comprising:

(a) incubating a sample comprising IL-31 in the presence of an antibody according to claim 9 ; and

(b) detecting the antibody which is bound to IL-31 in the sample.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the antibody comprises a label.

27. The method of claim 25 , further comprising detecting the antibody with a second antibody comprising a label.

28. The method of claim 25 , further comprising quantitating the IL-31 in the sample.