Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Micro-organism – tissue cell culture or enzyme using process... – Recombinant dna technique included in method of making a...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-29
2004-02-03
Eyler, Yvonne (Department: 1646)
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Micro-organism, tissue cell culture or enzyme using process...
Recombinant dna technique included in method of making a...
C435S320100, C435S325000, C435S252300, C536S023400, C530S350000, C530S362000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06686179
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to new biologically active polypeptides, their preparation and pharmaceutical compositions containing them.
More particularly, the present invention relates to essentially recombinant polypeptides composed of an active part derived from a natural or artificial polypeptide having a therapeutic activity and coupled to an albumin or to a variant of albumin. It is understood that the therapeutic activity of the polypeptides of the invention can be either direct (treatment of diseases), or indirect (and for example capable of being used in the prevention of diseases, in the design of vaccines, in medical imaging techniques and the like).
It is understood in the following text that the albumin variants designate any protein with a high plasma half-life which is obtained by modification (mutation, deletion and/or addition), by genetic engineering techniques, of a gene encoding a given isomorph of human serum albumin, as well as any macromolecule with a high plasma half-life obtained by in vitro modification of the protein encoded by such genes. Albumin being highly polymorphic, numerous natural variants have been identified and classified [Weitkamp L. R. et al., Ann. Hum. Genet. 37 (1973) 219].
The aim of the present invention is to prepare artificial proteins which are biologically active and can be used pharmaceutically. Indeed, numerous polypeptides possessing one or more potential therapeutic activities cannot be exploited pharmaceutically. This may have various reasons, such as especially their low stability in vivo, their complex or fragile structure, the difficulty of producing them on an industrially acceptable scale and the like. Likewise, some polypeptides do not give the expected results in vivo because of problems of administration, of packaging, of pharmacokinetics and the like.
The present invention makes it possible to overcome these disadvantages. The present invention indeed provides new molecules which permit an optimal therapeutic exploitation of the biological properties of these polypeptides. The present invention results especially from the demonstration that it is possible to couple genetically any active structure derived from a biologically active polypeptide to another protein structure consisting of albumin, without impairing the said biological properties thereof. It also results from the demonstration by the Applicant that human serum albumin makes it possible efficiently to present the active structure to its sites for interaction, and that it provides a high plasma stability for the polypeptide of the invention. The polypeptides of the invention thus make it possible to maintain, in the body, a given biological activity for a prolonged period. They thus make it possible to reduce the administered doses and, in some cases, to potentiate the therapeutic effect, for example by reducing the side effects following a higher administration. The polypeptides of the invention make it possible, in addition, to generate and to use structures derived from biologically active polypeptides which are very small and therefore very specific for a desired effect. It is understood that the peptides having a biological activity, which are of therapeutic interest, may also correspond to non-natural peptide sequences isolated for example from random peptide libraries. The polypeptides of the invention possess, moreover, a particularly advantageous distribution in the body, which modifies their pharmacokinetic properties and favours the development of their biological activity and their use. In addition, they also have the advantage of being weakly or non-immunogenic for the organism in which they are used. Finally, the polypeptides of the invention can be expressed (and preferentially secreted) by recombinant organisms, at levels permitting their industrial exploitation.
One subject of the present invention therefore relates to polypeptides containing an active part derived from a polypeptide having a therapeutic activity, coupled to an albumin or a variant of albumin.
In a specific embodiment, the peptides possessing a therapeutic activity are not of human origin. For example, there may be mentioned peptides, or their derivatives, possessing properties which are potentially useful in the pathologies of the blood and interstitial compartments, such as hirudin, trigramine, antistatine, tick anticoagulant peptides (TAP), arietin, applagin and the like.
More particularly, in the molecules of the invention, the polypeptide having a therapeutic activity is a polypeptide of human origin or a molecular variant. For example, this may be all or part of an enzyme, an enzyme inhibitor, an antigen, an antibody, a hormone, a factor involved in the control of coagulation, an interferon, a cytokine [the interleukins, but also their variants which are natural antagonists of their binding to the receptor(s), the SIS (small induced secreted) type cytokines and for example the macrophage inflammatory proteins (MIPs), and the like], of a growth factor and/or of differentiation [and for example the transformant growth factors (TGFs), the blood cell differentiation factors (erythropoietin, M-CSF, G-CSF, GM-CSF and the like), insulin and the growth factors resembling it (IGFs), or alternatively cell permeability factors (VPF/VEGF), and the like], of a factor involved in the genesis/resorption of bone tissues (OIF and osteospontin for example), of a factor involved in cellular motility or migration [and for example autocrine motility factor (AMF), migration stimulating factor (MSF), or alternatively the scatter factor (scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor)], of a bactericidal or antifungal factor, of a chemotactic factor [and for example platelet factor 4 (PF4), or alternatively the monocyte chemoattracting peptides (MCP/MCAF) or neutrophil chemoattracting peptides (NCAF), and the like], of a cytostatic factor (and for example the proteins which bind to galactosides), of a plasma (and for example von Willebrand factor, fibrinogen and the like) or interstitial (laminin, tenascin, vitronectin and the like) adhesive molecule or extracellular matrices, or alternatively any peptide sequence which is an antagonist or agonist of molecular and/or intercellular interactions involved in the pathologies of the circulatory and interstitial compartments and for example the formation of arterial and venous thrombi, cancerous metastases, tumour angiogenesis, inflammatory shock, autoimmune diseases, bone and osteoarticular pathologies and the like.
The active part of the polypeptides of the invention may consist for example of the polypeptide having a whole therapeutic activity, or of a structure derived therefrom, or alternatively of a non-natural polypeptide isolated from a peptide library. For the purposes of the present invention, a derived structure is understood to mean any polypeptide obtained by modification and preserving a therapeutic activity. Modification should be understood to mean any mutation, substitution, deletion, addition or modification of genetic and/or chemical nature. Such derivatives may be generated for various reasons, such as especially that of increasing the affinity of the molecule for its binding sites, that of improving its levels of production, that of increasing its resistance to proteases, that of increasing its therapeutic efficacy or alternatively of reducing its side effects, or that of conferring on it new biological properties. As an example, the chimeric polypeptides of the invention possess pharmacokinetic properties and a biological activity which can be used for the prevention or treatment of diseases.
Particularly advantageous polypeptides of the invention are those in which the active part has:
(a) the whole peptide structure or,
(b) a structure derived from (a) by structural modification (mutation, substitution addition and/or deletion of one or more residues) and possessing a therapeutic activity.
Among the structures of the (b) type, there may be mentioned more particularly the molec
Fleer Reinhard
Fournier Alain
Guitton Jean-Dominique
Jung Gerard
Yeh Patrice
Aventis Behring L.L.C.
Eyler Yvonne
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Murphy Joseph F.
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