| abstract |
The present invention is directed to antibodies and fragments thereof hav ing binding specificity for IL-6. Another embodiment of this invention relat es to the antibodies described herein, and binding fragments thereof, compri sing the sequences of the VH, VL and CDR polypeptides described herein, and the polynucleotides encoding them. The invention also contemplates conjugate s of anti-IL-6 antibodies and binding fragments thereof conjugated to one or more functional or detectable moieties. The invention also contemplates met hods of making said anti-IL-6 antibodies and binding fragments thereof. Embo diments of the invention also pertain to the use of anti-IL-6 antibodies, an d binding fragments thereof, for the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of diseases and disorders associated with IL-6. These antibodies may bind at le ast one of soluble IL-6, cell surface expressed IL-6, IL-6/IL-6R and/or prev ent the association of IL-6 and IL-6R, the association of IL-6/IL-6R and gp1 30 and or the formation of IL-6/IL-6R/gp130 multimers and thereby inhibit a biological effect associated with any of the foregoing. |