Abstract: Subject matter of the present invention is an anti-adrenomedullin antibody or an anti-adrenomedullin antibody fragment or anti-ADM non-Ig scaffold wherein said antibody or said fragment or scaffold is a non-neutralizing antibody, antibody fragment or non-Ig scaffold, respectively. Subject matter of the present invention is also an anti-adrenomedullin antibody or an anti-adrenomedullin antibody fragment or anti-ADM non-Ig scaffold for use in a treatment of a chronic or acute disease wherein said antibody or fragment or scaffold is: an ADM stabilizing antibody or an adrenomedullin stabilizing antibody fragment or an ADM stabilizing non-Ig scaffold that enhances the t1/2 half retention time of adrenomedullin in serum, blood, plasma at least 10%, preferably at least, 50%, more preferably >50%, most preferably 100% and/or wherein said anti-ADM antibody or an anti-adrenomedullin antibody fragment or anti-ADM non-Ig scaffold blocks the bioactivity of ADM to not more than 80%, or not more than 50%.

Abstract: According to the present invention it has been found that the administration of an anti-ADM antibody or an anti-adrenomedullin antibody fragment or an anti-ADM non-Ig scaffold may reduce considerably the risk of mortality in a patient having a severe chronical or acute disease. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention said anti-ADM antibody or an anti-adrenomedullin antibody fragment or anti-ADM non-Ig scaffold binds to a region of ADM that is located in the N-terminal part (aa 1-21) of adrenomedullin, (see FIG. 2). In another preferred embodiment said anti-ADM antibody or anti-ADM fragment or anti-ADM non-Ig scaffold recognizes and binds to the N-terminal end (aa1) of adrenomedullin. N-terminal end means that the amino acid 1, that is “Y” of SEQ ID No. 21 or 23, is mandatory for antibody binding.