BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness among people with age 60 and above. AMD is diagnosed as either dry (non-neovascular) or wet (neovascular) AMD. About 85 to 90 percent of AMD patients are diagnosed with dry AMD. It is an early stage of disease which may result from the aging and thinning of macular tissues, resulting in deposition of pigment characterized by yellow spots called drusen in macula. Gradual central vision loss may occur with dry macular degeneration but usually is not nearly as severe as wet AMD.

In a significant proportion of cases, dry AMD progresses to the more advanced and damaging form of the disease, wet AMD, leading to serious vision loss. Wet AMD is characterized by the process of choroidal neovascularization which involves the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) beneath the retina resulting in leakage of blood and fluid. This leakage causes permanent damage to light-sensitive retinal cells, resulting in vision loss. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) appears to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of choroidal neovascularization.

Treatment methods for wet AMD include laser photocoagulation, photodynamic laser therapy with Visudyne® (Valeant Pharmaceuticals International) and anti-VEGF drugs. The discovery of anti-VEGF agents has revolutionized treatment of the condition. Currently, the four anti-VEGF agents either approved or in common use include pegaptanib (Macugen®, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International), ranibizumab (Lucentis®, Novartis and Roche), aflibercept or VEGF Trap-Eye (EYLEA®, Bayer and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals) and bevacizumab (Avastin®, Roche).

Anti-VEGF therapy may be used for treating wet AMD. However, current treatment involves giving frequent injections of the anti-VEGF drug into the affected eye once a month for three months and then, monitoring the treatment to give further injections. The frequent administration of injections leads to complications such as macular edema and stress in the eyes of patients. If macular edema is prolonged, retinal thinning, scarring or retinal hole can eventually form. As such there remains an urgent need for improved drugs and methods for treating diseases associated with abnormal vascularization, such as wet AMD.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention encompasses novel anti-VEGF antibodies; and polynucleotides comprising sequences encoding such novel anti-VEGF antibodies and compositions, including pharmaceutical compositions, comprising them and uses thereof.

The present invention also provides using the novel anti-VEGF antibodies, polynucleotides comprising sequences encoding such novel anti-VEGF antibodies and compositions, including pharmaceutical compositions in methods for inhibiting or treating diseases such as wet age related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic maculopathy, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, macular edema in retinal vein occlusion (RVO), iris neovascularization, choroidal neovascularisation caused by pathological myopia, retinopathy of maturity, neovascular glaucoma and cancer.

