Monoclonal anti-CD40 antibodies and methods for their use.

A human monoclonal antibody capable of specifically binding to a human CD40 antigen expressed on the surface of a human CD40-expressing cell, said monoclonal antibody being free of significant agonist activity, whereby, when said monoclonal antibody binds to the antigen being CD40 expressed on the surface of said cell, the growth or differentiation of said cell, wherein said antibody is selected from the group consisting inhibited by: a) a monoclonal antibody that binds to an epitope capable of binding the monoclonal antibody CHIR- 5.9 obtainable from the hybridoma cell line deposited with the ATCC as Patent Deposit No. PTA-5542 or the monoclonal antibody CHIR-12.12 obtainable from the hybridoma cell line deposited with the ATCC as Patent Deposit No. PTA-5543 ; b) a monoclonal antibody that binds to an epitope comprising residues 82-87 of the human CD40 sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 10 or SEQ ID NO: 12; c) a monoclonal antibody that binds to an epitope comprising residues 82-89 of the human CD40 sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 10 or SEQ ID NO: 12; d) a monoclonal antibody that competes with the monoclonal antibody CHIR-5.9 obtainable from the hybridoma cell line deposited with the ATCC as Patent Deposit No. PTA-5542 or the monoclonal antibody CHIR-12.12 obtainable from the cell line hybridoma deposited with the ATCC as Patent Deposit No. PTA-5543 in a competitive binding assay.