Methods for treating a disease involving choroidal neovascularization by administering an IL-6 receptor antibody
The present inventors focused on the fact that inflammation at the subretinal macular area enhances choroidal neovascularization, and developed pharmaceutical agents that suppress initiation or advancement of neovascularization by angiogenic factors such as VEGF. More specifically, the present inventors revealed that administering anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibodies to mice treated with laser photocoagulation inhibits the development of choroidal neovascularization.
1. A method for treating a disease involving choroidal neovascularization, the method comprising administering an interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitor to a subject identified as having developed a disease involving choroidal neovascularization, thereby treating the disease in the subject,
wherein the disease involving choroidal neovascularization is age-related macular degeneration, myopic choroidal neovascularization, or idiopathic choroidal neovascularization, and wherein the IL-6 inhibitor is an antibody that binds to an IL-6 receptor and inhibits signal transduction via the IL-6 receptor.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibody is a monoclonal antibody.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the IL-6 receptor is a human IL-6 receptor.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibody is a recombinant antibody.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibody is a chimeric, humanized, or human antibody.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the disease involving choroidal neovascularization is age-related macular degeneration.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the disease involving choroidal neovascularization is myopic choroidal neovascularization.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the disease involving choroidal neovascularization is idiopathic choroidal neovascularization.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibody is a MR16-1 antibody.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibody is a PM-1 antibody.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibody is a humanized PM-1 antibody.