HUMANIZED ANTIBODIES TO THE EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR RECEPTOR

摘要

PURPOSE: Provided are humanized antibodies specific for the epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) and fragments thereof. The humanized antibodies have an increased ability to kill cells compared to the murine antibody 340. Also provided are nucleic acids encoding the antibodies, as well as the use of the antibodies in medicine, in particular in the treatment of cancer. CONSTITUTION: The humanized form of the antibody 340 is obtainable from the cell line deposited with the ECACC under accession number 97021428. It comprises the CDRH3 of antibody 340 provided in a human antibody framework. It further comprises one or more of the CDRL1, CDRL2, CDRL3, CDRH1 and CDRH2 of the heavy or light chains of 340. The CDRs are shown in Figure(2). It comprises the hypervariable region of antibody 340. The variable region other than the hypervariable region is derived from the variable region of a human antibody.