The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 07, 2014
Filed:
Mar. 27, 2008
Rafael A. Ponce, Jr., Seattle, WA (US);
Wayne J. Wallis, Seattle, WA (US);
Matthew S. Holdren, Seattle, WA (US);
Linda Zuckerman, Seattle, WA (US);
Alisa M. Littau, Woodinville, WA (US);
Kirk P. Van Ness, Bainbridge Island, WA (US);
Claudia Pena Rossi, Geneva, CH;
Hans Otto Lennart Graffner, Helsingborg, SE;
Rafael A. Ponce, Jr., Seattle, WA (US);
Wayne J. Wallis, Seattle, WA (US);
Matthew S. Holdren, Seattle, WA (US);
Linda Zuckerman, Seattle, WA (US);
Alisa M. Littau, Woodinville, WA (US);
Kirk P. Van Ness, Bainbridge Island, WA (US);
Claudia Pena Rossi, Geneva, CH;
Hans Otto Lennart Graffner, Helsingborg, SE;
Zymogenetics, Inc., Seattle, WA (US);
Abstract
The invention relates to novel combination therapies involving BLyS or BLyS/APRIL inhibition and immunosuppressants for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. One preferred method is where the BLyS and/or APRIL antagonist is a Fc-fusion protein which can be a TACI-Fc-fusion protein comprising the extracellular domain of TACI or a functional fragment thereof, a BAFF-R-Fc-fusion protein comprising the extracellular domain of BAFF-R or a functional fragment thereof, or a BCMA-Fc-fusion protein comprising the extracellular domain of BCMA or a functional fragment thereof. In the methods of the present invention some of the immunosuppressive drugs contemplated include cyclophosphamide (CYC), azathioprine (AZA), cyclosporine A (CSA), or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), although any drug that suppresses the immune system may be suitable. The methods of the present invention reduce the levels of various immunoglobulins in patients in need of such reduction, such as those suffering from autoimmune diseases.