Ligands for use in therapeutic compositions for the treatment of hemostasis disorders

Abstract

The present invention comprises ligands and methods of manufacture thereof as well as pharmaceutical preparations including the ligands. The ligands may be human or humanized monoclonal antibodies and fragments, derivatives and homologs thereof. These may exhibit an unforeseen 'plateau effect', i.e. the achievement of only a partial inactivation of a factor involved in hemostasis, in particular in the coagulation cascade, either individually or in combination even in molar excess. The ligands may bind to a factor or a complex of factors resulting in only partially impairing the function of a physiologically functional site of the said factor or factor complex even in molar excess. This makes the ligands particularly suitable for treating coagulation disorders and resulting thrombotic pathologic conditions while minimizing the risk of bleeding. Particularly useful is a property of ligands in accordance with the present invention to allow some physiological function of the affected site even when the ligand is in molar excess. The ligands may be anti-factor VIII antibodies or antibodies against a factor VIII complex, in particular human or human hybrid monoclonal antibodies which bind to factor VIII or a factor VIII complex and at least partially inhibit the activity of factor VIII.