Abstract: The invention provides method for therapeutic protein drug development that incorporates therapeutic and/or formulation and/or manufacturing considerations in the early screening process. The approach involves screening a plurality of different variants of a domain that have been determined to have the desired therapeutic property to identify one or more variants that have desired therapeutic and/or formulation characteristics, and constructing the full multidomain proteins using the identified domain variants. The present invention also provides a method for determining the shelf life of multidomain proteins in formulations. The method comprises determining a thermal denaturation and/or renaturation curve of a domain of the protein whose unfolding leads to aggregation of the protein in a solution. The method evaluates the shelf life of the multidomain protein based on the denaturation/renaturation curve.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are disclosed for inhibiting the release of a proinflammatory cytokine from a vertebrate cell, and for inhibiting an inflammatory cytokine cascade in a patient. The compositions comprise, for example, high affinity antibodies that specifically bind HMG1 and antigenic fragments thereof. The high affinity antibodies of the present invention and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same are useful for many purposes, for example, as therapeutics against a wide range of inflammatory diseases and disorders such as sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis, peritonitis, Crohn's disease, reperfusion injury, septicemia, endotoxic shock, cystic fibrosis, endocarditis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, arthritis, anaphylactic shock, organ ischemia, reperfusion injury, and allograft rejection. In addition, the high affinity antibodies of the present inventions are useful as diagnostic antibodies.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods of optimizing certain stable liquid formulations of antibodies that immunospecifically bind to antigens of interest. Such formulations are suitable for parenteral administration to a subject, and exhibit increased stability, low to undetectable levels of aggregation, low to undetectable levels of antibody fragmentation/degradation, and very little to no loss of the biological activities of the antibodies, even during long periods of storage. The methods of the invention provide formulations that offer multiple advantages over formulations produced by non-optimized methods, including less stringent or more readily available transportation and storage conditions, less frequent dosing, and/or smaller dosage amounts in the therapeutic, prophylactic and diagnostic uses of such formulations. The invention further provides methods of identifying antibodies exhibiting certain phase behaviors such that the antibodies can be formulated by the methods of the invention.

Abstract: The invention provides method for therapeutic protein drug development that incorporates therapeutic and/or formulation and/or manufacturing considerations in the early screening process. The approach involves screening a plurality of different variants of a domain that have been determined to have the desired therapeutic property to identify one or more variants that have desired therapeutic and/or formulation characteristics, and constructing the full multidomain proteins using the identified domain variants. The present invention also provides a method for determining the shelf life of multidomain proteins in formulations. The method comprises determining a thermal denaturation and/or renaturation curve of a domain of the protein whose unfolding leads to aggregation of the protein in a solution. The method evaluates the shelf life of the multidomain protein based on the denaturation/renaturation curve.

Abstract: The present invention provides formulations of proteins comprising a variant Fc region that improve the stability in part by reducing the propensisty of such molecules to rapidly aggregate. The invention provides both liquid and lyophilized formulations either of which can be utilized to generate a high protein concentration liquid suitable for administration to a subject. The invention further provides methods of utilizing the formulations of the present invention for therapeutic or prophylactic treatment of diseases and disorders or for diagnostic purposes.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods of optimizing the production and purification of antibody formulations that immunospecifically bind to antigens of interest and are suitable for parenteral administration to a subject, which formulations exhibit increased stability due to reduced degradation and aggregation of the antibody component on long term storage. Such methods provide formulations that offer multiple advantages over formulations produced by non-optimized methods including less stringent or more readily available transportation/storage conditions, and less frequent dosing or smaller dosage amounts in the therapeutic, prophylactic and diagnostic use of such formulations. The invention further provides methods of utilizing the formulations of the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides liquid formulations of SYNAGIS® or an antigen-binding fragment thereof that immunospecifically bind to a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) antigen, which formulations exhibit stability, low to undetectable levels of aggregation, and very little to no loss of the biological activities of SYNAGIS® or an antigen-binding fragment thereof, even during long periods of storage. In particular, the present invention provides liquid formulations of SYNAGIS® or an antigen-binding fragment thereof which immunospecifically binds to a RSV antigen, which formulations are substantially free of surfactant, inorganic salts, and/or other common excipients. Furthermore, the invention provides method of preventing, treating or ameliorating symptoms associated with RSV infection utilizing liquid formulations of the present invention.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are disclosed for inhibiting the release of a proinflammatory cytokine from a vertebrate cell, and for inhibiting an inflammatory cytokine cascade in a patient. The compositions comprise, for example, high affinity antibodies that specifically bind HMG1 and antigenic fragments thereof. The high affinity antibodies of the present invention and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same are useful for many purposes, for example, as therapeutics against a wide range of inflammatory diseases and disorders such as sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis, peritonitis, Crohn's disease, reperfusion injury, septicemia, endotoxic shock, cystic fibrosis, endocarditis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, arthritis, anaphylactic shock, organ ischemia, reperfusion injury, and allograft rejection. In addition, the high affinity antibodies of the present inventions are useful as diagnostic antibodies.

Abstract: The present invention provides liquid formulations of SYNAGIS® or an antigen-binding fragment thereof that immunospecifically bind to a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) antigen, which formulations exhibit stability, low to undetectable levels of aggregation, and very little to no loss of the biological activities of SYNAGIS® or an antigen-binding fragment thereof, even during long periods of storage. In particular, the present invention provides liquid formulations of SYNAGIS® or an antigen-binding fragment thereof which immunospecifically binds to a RSV antigen, which formulations are substantially free of surfactant, inorganic salts, and/or other common excipients. Furthermore, the invention provides method of preventing, treating or ameliorating symptoms associated with RSV infection utilizing liquid formulations of the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides liquid formulations of antibodies or antibody fragments that immunospecifically bind to an IL-9 polypeptide, which formulations exhibit stability, low to undetectable levels of aggregation, and very little to no loss of the biological activities of the antibodies or antibody fragments, even during long periods of storage. In particular, the present invention provides liquid formulations of antibodies or fragments thereof that immunospecifically bind to an IL-9 polypeptide, which formulations are substantially free of surfactants, sugars, sugar alcohols, amino acids other than histidine (preferably with pKa values of less than 5 and above 7), and/or other common excipients.