Means and methods for treating DLBCL

1. A method for treating a tumorous mass of lymph node tissue and/or extranodal lymphoma in a patient suffering from relapsed and/or refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the method comprising the step of administering to the patient (i) a composition comprising an effective amount of a CD19×CD3 bispecific antibody in a step-wise application, whereby a first dose between 1 and 15 μg/m 2 /d of the CD19×CD3 bispecific antibody is administered daily for a first period of time from 3 to 10 days, a second dose between 1 and 15 μg/m 2 /d of the CD19×CD3 bispecific antibody is administered daily for a second period of time from 3 to 10 days, and a third dose between 15 and 60 μg/m 2 /d of the CD19×CD3 bispecific antibody is administered daily for a third period of time from 8 to 78 days; and (ii) a composition comprising an effective amount of a glucocorticoid to ameliorate adverse neurological effects of the antibody in the patient, whereby the glucocorticoid is administered prior to and after the CD19×CD3 bispecific antibody is administered.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tumorous mass is characterized by a tumor having a size of more than 10×10 mm.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lymph node tissue includes lymph nodes and/or spleen and the extranodal lymphoma includes central nervous system (CNS), cutaneous tissue, breast, lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary tract, ocular tissue, bone marrow and/or bones.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first dose of the composition is administered for a first period of time and consecutively a second dose of the composition is administered for a second period of time, wherein the second dose exceeds the first dose.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third period of time exceeds the first period of time and the second period of time, and the second dose exceeds said first dose.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third dose exceeds the first dose and second dose.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first period of time exceeds 3 days, the second period of time exceeds 3 days and the third period of time exceeds 8 days.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first period of time is 7 days, the second period of time is 7 days and the third period of time is 14 or 42 days.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of administering a chemotherapeutic agent.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the glucocorticoid is selected from the group consisting of cortisone, cortisol, cloprednol, prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone, deflazacort, fluocortolone, triamcinolone, dexamethasone, betamethasone, flusticasonepropionate, and triamcinolonacetonide.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the glucocorticoid is administered at a dose of between 6 to 40 mg prior to and after the administration of the CD19×CD3 bispecific antibody, and the antibody is administered at a first dose of 5 μg/m 2 /d, at a second dose of 15 μg/m 2 /d and at a third dose of 60 μg/m 2 /d.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CD19×CD3 bispecific single chain antibody construct comprises:

(a) a variable heavy chain anti-CD19 CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14, a variable heavy chain anti-CD19 CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15, and a variable heavy chain anti-CD 19 CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 16; or

(b) a variable heavy chain anti-CD3 CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 17, a variable heavy chain anti-CD3 CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18 0 , and a variable heavy chain anti-CD3 CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CD19×CD3 bispecific single chain antibody construct comprises:

(a) a variable heavy chain anti-CD3 CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 11, a variable heavy chain anti-CD3 CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 12, and a variable heavy chain anti-CD3 CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13;

(b) a variable light chain anti-CD3 CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14, a variable light chain anti-CD3 CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15, and a variable light chain anti-CD3 CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 16;

(c) a variable heavy chain anti-CD19 CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 17, a variable heavy chain anti-CD19 CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18, a variable heavy chain anti-CD19 CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19; or

(d) a variable light chain anti-CD19 CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 20, a variable light chain anti-CD19 CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 21, and a variable light chain anti-CD19CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 22.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CD19×CD3 bispecific single chain antibody construct comprises:

(a) a variable heavy chain anti-CD3 CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 11, a variable heavy chain anti-CD3 CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 12, and a variable heavy chain anti-CD3 CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13; a variable light chain anti-CD3 CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14, a variable light chain anti-CD3 CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15, and a variable light chain anti-CD3 CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 16; and/or

(b) a variable heavy chain anti-CD19 CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 17, a variable heavy chain anti-CD19 CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 18, a variable heavy chain anti-CD19 CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19; a variable light chain anti-CD19 CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 20, a variable light chain anti-CD 19 CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 21, and a variable light chain anti-CD19 CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 22.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CD19×CD3 bispecific single chain antibody construct comprises:

(a) a variable heavy chain anti-CD19 amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 3;

(b) a variable light chain anti-CD19 amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5;

(c) a variable heavy chain anti-CD3 amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7; or (d) a variable light chain anti-CD3 amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 9.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CD19×CD3 bispecific single chain antibody construct comprises a variable heavy chain anti-CD19 amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 3 and a variable light chain anti-CD19 amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CD19×CD3 bispecific single chain antibody construct comprises a variable heavy chain anti-CD3 amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7 and a variable light chain anti-CD3 amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 9.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CD19×CD3 bispecific single chain antibody construct comprises a variable heavy chain anti-CD19 amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 3, a variable light chain anti-CD19 amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 5, a variable heavy chain anti-CD3 amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7, and a variable light chain anti-CD3 amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 9.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CD19×CD3 bispecific single chain antibody construct is encoded by the nucleic acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2; or, wherein the CD19×CD3 bispecific single chain antibody construct comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1.