Human antibody molecules for IL-13

1. An isolated specific binding member for IL-13, comprising, an antibody antigen-binding site which is composed of a human antibody VH domain and a human antibody VL domain and which comprises a set of CDRs HCDR1, HCDR2, HCDR3, LCDR1, LCDR2, LCDR3, wherein the VH domain comprises HCDR1, HCDR2 and HCDR3 and the VL domain comprises LCDR1, LCDR2 and LCDR3, wherein the set of CDRs consists of a set of CDRs selected from the group consisting of:

the BAK278D6 set of CDRs, defined wherein the HCDR1 has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, the HCDR2 has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, the HCDR3 has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:3, the LCDR1 has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:4, the LCDR2 has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:5, the LCDR3 has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:6,

a set of CDRs which contains one amino acid substitution compared with the BAK278D6 set of CDRs wherein the one substitution is at one of the following residues within the CDRs, using the standard numbering of Kabat:

31, 32, 34 in HCDR1

52, 52A, 53, 54, 56, 58, 60, 61, 62, 64, 65 in HCDR2

96, 97, 98, 99, 101 in HCDR3

26, 27, 28, 30, 31 in LCDR1

56 in LCDR2

95A, 97 in LCDR3, and

the set of CDRs present within any of the individual isolated IL-13 specific binding members listed in Table 1.

2. An isolated specific binding member for IL-13, comprising, an antibody antigen-binding site which is composed of a human antibody VH domain and a human antibody VL domain and which comprises a set of CDRs HCDR1, HCDR2, HCDR3, LCDR1, LCDR2, LCDR3, wherein the set of CDRs contains one or two amino acid substitutions compared with the BAK278D6 set of CDRs wherein the one or two substitutions are selected from the group consisting of:

(a) Q, D, L, G or E at position 31 in HCDR1;

(b) T at position 32 in HCDR1;

(c) V, I or F at position 34 in HCDR1;

(d) D, N, A, R, G or E at position 52 in HCDR2;

(e) D, G, T, P, N or Y at position 52A in HCDR2;

(f) D, L, A, P, T, S, I or R at position 53 in HCDR2;

(g) S, T, D, G, K or I at position 54 in HCDR2;

(h) T, E, Q, L, Y, N, V, A, M or G at position 56 in HCDR2;

(i) I, L, Q, S, M, H, D or K at position 58 in HCDR2;

(j) R at position 60 in HCDR2;

(k) R at position 61 in HCDR2;

(l) K or G at position 62 in HCDR2;

(m) R at position 64 in HCDR2;

(n) K at position 65 in HCDR2;

(o) R or D at position 96 in HCDR3;

(p) N, D, T or P at position 97 in HCDR3;

(q) R at position 98 in HCDR3;

(r) S, A, I, R, P or K at position 99 in HCDR3;

(s) Y at position 101 in HCDR3;

(t) D or S at position 26 in LCDR1;

(u) I, L, M, C, V, K, Y, F, R, T, S, A, H or G at position 27 in LCDR1;

(v) V at position 28 in LCDR1;

(w) G at position 30 in LCDR1;

(x) R at position 31 in LCDR1;

(y) T at position 56 in LCDR2;

(z) N at position 95A in LCDR3; and

(aa) I at position 97 in LCDR3.

3. An isolated specific binding member according to claim 2 wherein there are two substitutions compared with the BAK278D6 set of CDRs, at HCDR3 residue 99 and LCDR1 residue 27.

4. An isolated specific binding member according to claim 3 comprising the BAK278D6 set of CDR's with a substitution at HCDR3 residue 99 selected from the group consisting of S, A, I, R, P and K, and/or a substitution at LCDR1 residue 27 selected from the group consisting of I, L, M, C, V, K, Y, F, R, T, S, A, H and G.

5. An isolated specific binding member according to claim 3 comprising the BAK278D6 set of CDR's with S substituted for N at HCDR3 residue 99 and/or I substituted for N at LCDR 1 residue 27.

6. An isolated specific binding member according to claim 2 wherein HCDR1, HCDR2 and HCDR3 of the VH domain are within a germ-line framework and/or LCDR1, LCDR2 and LCDR3 of the VL domain are within a germ-line framework.

7. An isolated specific binding member according to claim 6 wherein the HCDR1, HCDR2 and HCDR3 of the VH domain are within germ-line framework VH1 DP14.

8. An isolated specific binding member according to claim 6 wherein the HCDR1, HCDR2 and HCDR3 of the VH domain are within germ-line framework VL Vλ3 3h.

9. An isolated specific binding member according to claim 2 which binds a human IL-13 variant in which arginine at position 130 is replaced by glutamine.

10. An isolated specific binding member according to claim 2 which binds non-human primate IL-13.

11. An isolated specific binding member according to claim 10 wherein the non-human primate IL-13 is rhesus or cynomolgus.

12. A specific binding member according to claim 7 comprising the BAK502G9 VH domain (SEQ ID NO: 15).

13. A specific binding member according to claim 7 comprising the BAK502G9 VL domain (SEQ ID NO: 16).

14. A specific binding member according to claim 2 that binds IL-13 with affinity equal to or better than the affinity of an IL-13 antigen-binding site formed by the BAK502G9 VH domain (SEQ ID NO: 15) and the BAK502G9 VL domain (SEQ ID NO: 16), the affinity of the specific binding member and the affinity of the antigen-binding site being as determined under the same conditions.

15. A specific binding member according to claim 2 that neutralizes human IL-13.

16. A specific binding member according to claim 15 that neutralizes human IL-13, with a potency equal to or better than the potency of a IL-13 antigen-binding site formed by the BAK502G9 VH domain (SEQ ID NO: 15) and the BAK502G9 VL domain (SEQ ID NO: 16), the potency of the specific binding member and the potency of the antigen-binding site being as determined under the same conditions.

17. A specific binding member according to claim 2 that comprises an scFv antibody molecule.

18. A specific binding member according to claim 2 that comprises an antibody constant region.

19. A specific binding member according to claim 18 that comprises a whole antibody.

20. A specific binding member according to claim 19 wherein the whole antibody comprises IgG4.

21. A composition comprising a specific binding member or an antibody antigen-binding site comprising a VH domain and a VL domain, according to claim 2 , and at least one additional component.

22. A composition according to claim 21 comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, vehicle or carrier.