Compositions and methods which employ a combination of monoclonal antibodies which bind to HGF and prevent it from binding to its receptor met in a manner that HGF/met signaling is neutralized

The invention described and claimed in this patent application provides for compositions and methods for the treatment of cancers associated with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). In particular, the patent application describes compositions and methods which employ a combination of monoclonal antibodies which bind to HGF and prevent it from binding to its receptor met in a manner that HGF/met signaling is neutralized. The combination of monoclonal antibodies has been shown to be neutralizing in tumor-bearing nude mice. HGF/met signaling has been most widely studied in settings related to cancer. It has been demonstrated to have a role in metastasis and angiogenesis. In addition to cancer, HGF activity has also been linked, through its role in apoptosis, to Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular disease. The application has been published as WO 01/34650 (05/17/2001). The work has also been published at Cao B, et al PNAS USA 98(13):7443-8 (June 19 2001) [http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/98/13/7443]. The hybridomas which can be used to produce the various monoclonal antibodies have been deposited with the ATCC and are available to licensees. Only U.S. Patent protection has been sought for this technology. There are no foreign counterpart patent applications.

U.S. Patent Application No. 10/129,596 filed 30 Sep 2002 (HHS Reference No. E-262-1999/1-US-02), which is a 371 application of PCT/US00/31036 filed 09 Nov 2000 and which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/164,173 filed 09 Nov 1999 Inventors: Boliang Cao and George Vande Woude (both of NCI)

This application is available for license only. Licenses for the development of therapeutics may be exclusive or non- exclusive. The principal investigators are no longer at the NIH and are not available for NIH collaborative projects under the CRADA mechanism.