Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser – Synthetic resins – Mixing of two or more solid polymers; mixing of solid...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-26
2001-04-24
Nutter, Nathan M. (Department: 1711)
Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser
Synthetic resins
Mixing of two or more solid polymers; mixing of solid...
C514S002600, C514S772300, C514S772600, C514S800000, C514S806000, C514S807000, C514S808000, C514S809000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06221958
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to sustained release of bioactive polypeptides.
Many drug delivery systems have been developed, tested and utilized for the controlled in vivo release of pharmaceutical compositions. For example, polyesters such as poly (DL-lactic acid), poly (glycolic acid), poly (
&egr;
-caprolactone) and various other copolymers have been used to release biologically active molecules such as progesterone; these have been in the form of microcapsules, films, or rods (Pitt C G, Marks, T A, and Schindler, A. 1980). Upon implantation of the polymer/therapeutic agent composition, for example subcutaneously or intramuscularly, the therapeutic agent is released over a specific period of time. Such biocompatible biodegradable polymeric systems are designed to permit the entrapped therapeutic agent to diffuse from the polymer matrix. Upon release of the therapeutic agent, the polymer is degraded in vivo, obviating surgical removal of the implant. Although the factors that contribute to polymer degradation are not well understood, it is believed that such degradation for polyesters may be regulated by the accessibility of ester linkages to non-enzymatic autocatalytic hydrolysis of the polymeric components.
Several EPO publications and U.S. patents have addressed issues of polymer matrix design and its role in regulating the rate and extent of release of therapeutic agents in vivo.
For example, Deluca (EPO Publication 0 467 389 A2/Univ of Kentucky) describes a physical interaction between a hydrophobic biodegradable polymer and a protein or polypeptide. The composition formed was a mixture of a therapeutic agent and a hydrophobic polymer that sustained its diffusional release from the matrix after introduction into a subject.
Hutchinson (U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,628/ICI) controlled the release of a therapeutic agent by uniform dispersion in a polymeric device. It is stated that this formulation provides for controlled continuous release by the overlap of two phases: first, a diffusion-dependent leaching of the drug from the surface of the formulation; and second, releasing by aqueous channels induced by degradation of the polymer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In general, the invention features a sustained release pharmaceutical formulation composed of a polyester containing free COOH groups ionically conjugated with a biologically active polypeptide composed of at least one effective, ionogenic amine wherein at least 50%, by weight, of the polypeptide present in the composition is ionically conjugated to the polyester.
In preferred embodiments, the polyester is modified to increase the carboxyl to hydroxyl end group ratio from more than one and approaches infinity, i.e., all of the hydroxyl groups can be substituted with carboxyls. Examples of suitable polyesters are those originating from compounds such as L-lactic acid, D-lactic acid, DL-lactic acid,
&egr;
-caprolactone, p-dioxanone,
&egr;
-caproic acid, substituted and unsubstituted trimethylene carbonate (TMC), 1,5-dioxepan-2-one, 1,4-dioxepan-2-one, glycolide, glycolic acid, L-lactide, D-lactide, DL-lactide, meso-lactide, alkylene oxalate, cycloalkylene oxalate, alkylene succinate, (&bgr;-hydroxybutyrate), and optically active isomers, racemates or copolymers of any of the above, wherein the substituted TMC is substituted with (C
1
-C
4
)alkyl, preferably methyl. Other heterochain polymers related to traditional polyesters may also be used (e.g., polyorthoesters, polyorthocarbonates, and polyacetals).
Preferably, the polyester is made polycarboxylic by reaction with malic acid, citric acid or tartaric acid.
In preferred embodiments the polyester is partially acid-tipped with glutaric anhydride. In yet other preferred embodiments the polyester is fully acid-tipped with glutaric anhydride. Preferably, the polyester has an average degree of polymerization between 10 and 300 and more preferably between 20 to 50.
The ionic molecular conjugates of the invention are preferably made from polycarboxylic acid-tipped polyesters conjugated with monobasic and polybasic bioactive polypeptides having at least one effective ionogenic amine group. Alternatively, any polyester may be used to form an ionic molecular conjugate of the invention provided it is pretreated with a suitable base, e.g., NaOH. Moreover, any acid-stable peptide can be used, e.g., growth hormone releasing peptide (GHRP), luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH), somatostatin, bombesin, gastrin releasing peptide (GRP), calcitonin, bradykinin, galanin, melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH), growth hormone releasing factor (GRF), amylin, tachykinins, secretin, parathyroid hormone (PTH), enkephalin, endothelin, calcitonin gene releasing peptide (CGRP), neuromedins, parathyroid hormone related protein (PTHrP), glucagon, neurotensin, adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), peptide YY (PYY), glucagon releasing peptide (GLP), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide (PACAP), motilin, substance P, neuropeptide Y (NPY), TSH, and analogs and fragments thereof. Such ionic molecular conjugates are capable of releasing their bioactive components in vivo at predetermined rates determined by the chemical structure, molecular weight, and pKa of both components of these conjugates. A mechanism for the release of the drug entails the transformation of the insoluble conjugate form to water-soluble components, in part, through the hydrolysis of the hydrophobic polyester. Thus, release of the bioactive polypeptide increases, independently, with (a) the decrease in the pKa differential between the bioactive polypeptide and polyester, (b) the chemical reactivity of the polyester chain that is reflected in the carbonyl nucleophilicity, (c) the decrease in polyester density, as it relates to the glass transition temperature and minimized crystallizability, and (d) the increase in matrix hydrophilicity.
In preferred embodiments the polypeptide comprises 1 to 50 percent by weight of the total weight of the ionic molecular conjugate, and preferably greater than 85%, more preferably 95%, and even more preferably 99%, of the polypeptide present in the composition is ionically conjugated to the polyester; the polyester component of the ionic molecular conjugate has a viscosity of about 0.05 to about 0.7 dl/gm in chloroform; and the polyester has an average molecular weight of about 1200-40,000.
The polymeric ionic molecular conjugates of the invention can easily be made into injectable microspheres or microparticles, and implantable films or rods, without the need to utilize processing that entails multiphase emulsions or non-aqueous two-phase systems. Preferably, the microparticles are manufactured by (a) dissolving the composition in an aprotic, water miscible organic solvent; (b) mixing the organic solvent in water; and (c) isolating the microparticles from the water. In preferred embodiments, the organic solvent is chosen from the group of acetone, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, dimethylformamide, and dimethoxy ethylene glycol.
In preferred embodiments the polyester/polypeptide ionic molecular conjugate is capable of releasing in vivo a therapeutically effective dose of a bioactive polypeptide over a period of at least 20 days, and more preferably for up to 95 days but not less than 7 days. In yet other preferred embodiments the release of the therapeutic ionic molecular conjugate is essentially monophasic.
The sustained release compositions of the invention are preferably made by (a) providing a polyester having free COOH groups and a bioactive polypeptide having at least one effective ionogenic amine, and (b) ionically conjugating the polyester to the polypeptide to form an ionic molecular conjugate, wherein at least 85%, by weight, of the polypeptide present in the composition is ionically conjugated to the polyester. The polyester can be one which has sufficient free COOH groups to begin with, or, if an insufficient number of such groups are available for the desired peptide loading level at the outset, the polyester can be (1)
Jackson Steven A.
Moreau Jacques-Pierre
Shalaby Shalaby Wahba
Conway John D.
Fish & Richardson
Morrill Brian R.
Nutter Nathan M.
Societe de Conseils de Recherches et d'Applications Scienti
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