Insulinotropic peptide conjugate using carrier substance

Abstract

The present invention relates to an insulinotropic peptide conjugate having improved in-vivo duration of efficacy and stability, comprising an insulinotropic peptide, a non-peptide polymer and a carrier substance, which are covalently linked to each other, and a use of the same. The insulinotropic peptide conjugate of the present invention has the in-vivo activity which is maintained relatively high, and has remarkably increased blood half-life, and thus it can be desirably employed in the development of long acting formulations of various peptide drugs.

1 . An insulinotropic peptide conjugate, comprising an insulinotropic peptide and an immunoglobulin Fc region, which are linked by a non-peptidyl polymer, wherein the non-peptidyl polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, copolymers of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, polyoxyethylated polyols, polyvinyl alcohol, polysaccharides, dextran, polyvinyl ethyl ether, biodegradable polymers, lipid polymers, chitins, hyaluronic acid, and combinations thereof, and wherein one end of the non-peptidyl polymer is linked to an amino acid residue other than the amino terminus of the insulinotropic peptide. 
     
     
         2 . The insulinotropic peptide conjugate according to  claim 1 , wherein the insulinotropic peptide is selected from the group consisting of GLP-1, an exendin-3, an exendin-4, and a derivative, a fragment and a variant thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The insulinotropic peptide conjugate according to  claim 2 , wherein the derivative is selected from the group consisting of a peptide possessing an insulinotropic function and having an amine group at the amino terminus of the native insulinotropic peptide substituted, deleted, or modified, and a fragment and a variant thereof. 
     
     
         4 . An insulinotropic peptide conjugate, in which a derivative of exendin-4, and an immunoglobulin Fc region are linked by a non-peptidyl polymer, wherein the derivative of exendin-4 has an amino group at the amino terminus substituted, deleted, or modified, wherein the non-peptidyl polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, copolymers of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, polyoxyethylated polyols, polyvinyl alcohol, polysaccharides, dextran, polyvinyl ethyl ether, biodegradable polymers, lipid polymers, chitins, hyaluronic acid, and combinations thereof, and wherein the insulinotropic peptide conjugate has improved effects of reducing glucose levels in blood and has increased duration of in-vivo efficacy, as compared with a conjugate containing a native exendin-4. 
     
     
         5 . The insulinotropic peptide conjugate according to  claim 4 , wherein the derivative of exendin-4 is a deaminated exendin-4 prepared by deletion of an amine group at the amino terminus of the exendin-4. 
     
     
         6 . An insulinotropic peptide conjugate, in which a deaminated exendin-4 prepared by deletion of an amine group at the amino terminus of the exendin-4, and albumin are linked by a non-peptidyl polymer, wherein the non-peptidyl polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, copolymers of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, polyoxyethylated polyols, polyvinyl alcohol, polysaccharides, dextran, polyvinyl ethyl ether, biodegradable polymers, lipid polymers, chitins, hyaluronic acid, and combinations thereof, and wherein the insulinotropic peptide conjugate has improved effects of reducing glucose levels in blood and has increased duration of in vivo efficacy, as compared with a conjugate containing a native exendin-4. 
     
     
         7 . The insulinotropic peptide conjugate according to  claim 1 , wherein the non-peptidyl polymer has both ends, each binding to an amine group or a thiol group of the immunoglobulin Fc region, and the insulinotropic peptide. 
     
     
         8 . The insulinotropic peptide conjugate according to  claim 1 , wherein the immunoglobulin Fc region is deglycosylated. 
     
     
         9 . The insulinotropic peptide conjugate according to  claim 1 , wherein the immunoglobulin Fc region is composed of one to four domains selected from the group consisting of CH1, CH2, CH3 and CH4 domains. 
     
     
         10 . The insulinotropic peptide conjugate according to  claim 9 , wherein the immunoglobulin Fc region further includes a hinge region. 
     
     
         11 . The insulinotropic peptide conjugate according to  claim 1 , wherein the immunoglobulin Fc region is an Fc region derived from IgG, IgA, IgD, IgE, or IgM. 
     
     
         12 . The insulinotropic peptide conjugate according to  claim 11 , wherein each domain of the immunoglobulin Fc region is a domain hybrid of a different origin derived from an immunoglobulin selected from the group consisting of IgG, IgA, IgD, IgE, and IgM. 
     
     
         13 . The insulinotropic peptide conjugate according to  claim 11 , wherein the immunoglobulin Fc region is a dimer or a multimer (a combination of immunoglobulin Fc) composed of single-chain immunoglobulins of the same origin. 
     
     
         14 . The insulinotropic peptide conjugate according to  claim 11 , wherein the immunoglobulin Fc region is an IgG4 Fc region. 
     
     
         15 . The insulinotropic peptide conjugate according to  claim 14 , wherein the immunoglobulin Fc region is a human deglycosylated IgG4 Fc region. 
     
     
         16 . The insulinotropic peptide conjugate according to  claim 1 , wherein the reactive group of the non-peptidyl polymer is selected from the group consisting of an aldehyde group, a propionaldehyde group, a butyraldehyde group, a maleimide group, and a succinimide derivative. 
     
     
         17 . The insulinotropic peptide conjugate according to  claim 16 , wherein the succinimide derivative is succinimidyl propionate, succinimidyl carboxymethyl, hydroxy succinimidyl, or succinimidyl carbonate. 
     
     
         18 . The insulinotropic peptide conjugate according to  claim 17 , wherein the non-peptidyl polymer has a reactive aldehyde group at both ends. 
     
     
         19 . The insulinotropic peptide conjugate according to  claim 18 , wherein the non-peptidyl polymer is polyethylene glycol. 
     
     
         20 . A method for preparing an insulinotropic peptide conjugate, comprising the steps of:
 (1) covalently linking a non-peptidyl polymer having a reactive group selected from the group consisting of aldehyde, maleimide, and succinimide derivatives at both ends thereof, with an amine or thiol group of an insulinotropic peptide;   (2) isolating a conjugate comprising the insulinotropic peptide from the reaction mixture of (1), in which the non-peptidyl polymer is linked covalently to a site other than the amino terminus; and   (3) covalently linking an immunoglobulin Fc region to the other end of the non-peptidyl polymer of the isolated conjugate to produce a peptide conjugate comprising the immunoglobulin Fc region and the insulinotropic peptide, which are linked to each end of the non-peptide polymer.   
     
     
         21 . A method for preparing an insulinotropic peptide conjugate, comprising the steps of:
 (1) covalently linking a non-peptidyl polymer having an aldehyde reactive group at both ends thereof with the lysine residue of the insulinotropic peptide at pH of 9.0 or more;   (2) isolating a conjugate comprising the insulinotropic peptide from the reaction mixture of (1), in which the non-peptidyl polymer is linked covalently to the lysine residue; and   (3) covalently linking an immunoglobulin Fc region to the other end of the non-peptidyl polymer of the isolated conjugate to produce a protein conjugate comprising the immunoglobulin Fc region and the insulinotropic peptide, which are linked to each end of the non-peptidyl polymer.   
     
     
         22 . The method for preparing an insulinotropic peptide conjugate according to  claim 20 , wherein the insulinotropic peptide is a deaminated exendin-4. 
     
     
         23 . The method for preparing an insulinotropic peptide conjugate according to  claim 20 , wherein the non-peptidyl polymer is polyethylene glycol. 
     
     
         24 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the peptide conjugate of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         25 . A method for treating diabetes, obesity, acute coronary syndrome, or polycystic ovary syndrome comprising administering the peptide conjugate of  claim 1 , or the pharmaceutical composition of  claim 24 .