COMBINATION OF AN ANTI-IL-10 ANTIBODY AND A CPG-C TYPE OLIGONUCLEOTIDE FOR TREATING CANCER

1 . A method for treating cancer in a human patient comprising administering to the individual a combination therapy which comprises an anti-IL-10 antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof and a TLR9 agonist, wherein the TLR9 agonist is a CpG-C type oligonucleotide.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the anti-IL-10 antibody is a monoclonal antibody, a humanized antibody, a chimeric antibody, or a fully human antibody.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the anti-IL-10 antibody, or antigen binding fragment thereof, comprises: (a) light chain CDRs of SEQ ID NOs: 5, 6 and 7 (b) and heavy chain CDRs of SEQ ID NOs: 8, 9 and 10.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the anti-IL-10 antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof comprises the heavy chain and light chain variable regions of SEQ ID NO:11 and SEQ ID NO:12.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the anti-IL-10 antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof is anti-IL-10 hum 12G8 or an antigen binding fragment thereof, or an anti-IL-10 hum 12G8 variant or an antigen binding fragment thereof.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the anti-IL-10 antibody is an anti-IL-10 monoclonal antibody which comprises a heavy chain and a light chain, and wherein the heavy chain comprises SEQ ID NO:1 and the light chain comprises SEQ ID NO:2.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the CpG-C type oligonucleotide consists of:

(a) 5′-N x (TCG(N q )) y N w (X 1 X 2 CGX 2 ′X 1 ′(CG) p ) z, N v (SEQ ID NO:13) wherein N are nucleosides, x=0, 1, 2 or 3, y=1, 2, 3 or 4, w=0, 1 or 2, p=0 or 1, q=0, 1 or 2, v=0 to 89 and z=1 to 20, X 1 and X 1 ′ are self-complementary nucleosides, and X 2 and X 2 ′ are self-complementary nucleosides; and

(b) a palindromic sequence at least 8 bases in length wherein the palindromic sequence comprises the first (X 1 X 2 CGX 2 ′X 1 ′) of the (X 1 X 2 CGX 2 ′X 1 ′(CG) p ) z sequences, wherein the oligonucleotide is from 12 to 100 bases in length.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein x=0, y=1, w=0, p=0 or 1, q=0, 1 or 2, v=0 to 20 and z=1, 2, 3 or 4.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the CpG-C type oligonucleotide consists of TCGN q (X 1 X 2 CGX 2 ′X 1 ′CG) z N v (SEQ ID NO:14), wherein N are nucleosides, q=0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, v=0 to 20, z=1 to 4, X 1 and X 1 ′ are self-complementary nucleosides, X 2 and X 2 ′ are self-complementary nucleosides, and wherein the oligonucleotide is at least 12 bases in length.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the CpG-C type oligonucleotide consists of 5′-TCGN q TTCGAACGTTCGAACGTTN s -3′ (SEQ ID NO:15), wherein N are nucleosides, q=0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, s=0 to 20, and wherein the oligonucleotide is at least 12 bases in length.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the CpG-C type oligonucleotide has a sequence that consists of 5′-TCGAACGTTCGAACGTTCGAACGTTCGAAT-3′ (SEQ ID NO:20).

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the CpG-C type oligonucleotide has a sequence that consists of 5′-TCGTTCGAACGTTCGAACGTTCGAA-3′ (SEQ ID NO:17).

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the CpG-C type oligonucleotide is a sodium salt with the sequence of SEQ ID NO:17, and the oligonucleotide is an oligodeoxynucleotide with a phosphorothioate backbone.

14 . A method for treating a human individual diagnosed with cancer, comprising administering to the individual a CpG-C type oligonucleotide of SEQ ID NO:20 intratumorally at a dose of from 1 to 16 mg weekly, and anti-IL-10 hum 12G8 intravenously at a dose of from 1 to 10 mg/kg once every three weeks.

15 . A method for treating a human individual diagnosed with cancer, comprising administering to the individual a CpG-C type oligonucleotide of SEQ ID NO:20 intratumorally at a dose of from 1 to 16 mg weekly for four weeks followed by once every three weeks, and anti-IL-10 hum 12G8 intravenously at a dose of from 1 to 10 mg/kg once every three weeks.

16 . A method for treating a human individual diagnosed with cancer, comprising administering to the individual a CpG-C type oligonucleotide of SEQ ID NO:20 intratumorally at a dose of 1.0 or 4.0 mg on Days 1, 8, 15, 22, then once every three weeks and anti-IL-10 hum 12G8 intravenously on Day 1 at a dose of 70 mg, 210 mg or 700 mg once every three weeks.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of melanoma, squamous cell cancer of the neck, breast cancer, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of melanoma, head and neck cancer, breast cancer, and B-cell lymphoma.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of metastatic or unresectable melanoma, advanced squamous cell cancer of the neck, breast cancer with dermal metastasis, and indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of renal cell carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, bladder cancer, and colorectal cancer.

21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the CpG-C type oligonucleotide is a sodium salt with the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 20, and the oligonucleotide is an oligodeoxynucleotide with a phosphorothioate backbone.

22 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the CpG-C type oligonucleotide is a sodium salt with the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 20, and the oligonucleotide is an oligodeoxynucleotide with a phosphorothioate backbone.

23 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the CpG-C type oligonucleotide sequence is SEQ ID NO: 20, and the oligonucleotide is an oligodeoxynucleotide with a phosphorothioate backbone.

24 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the CpG-C type oligonucleotide sequence is SEQ ID NO: 20, and the oligonucleotide is an oligodeoxynucleotide with a phosphorothioate backbone.