Linear therapeutic peptides

Abstract

The invention features linear therapeutic peptides of the following formula: ##STR1## in which A.sup.1 is a D-.alpha.-aromatic amino acid or a D-.alpha.-tethered amino acid; A.sup.2 is Gln, His, 1-methyl-His, or 3-methyl-His; A.sup.3 is the D- or L-isomer selected from Nal, Trp, Phe, and p-X-Phe, where X is F, Cl, Br, NO.sub.2, OH or CH.sub.3 ; A.sup.4 is Ala, Val, Leu, Ile, Nle, or .alpha.-aminobutyric acid; A.sup.5 is Val, Ala, Leu, Ile, Nle, Thr, or .alpha.-aminobutyric acid; A.sup.6 is Gly, Sar, .beta.-Ala, or the D-isomer selected from Ala, N-methyl-Ala, Trp, and Nal; A.sup.7 is His, 1-methyl-His, 3-methyl-His, Lys, or .epsilon.-alkyl-Lys; A.sup.8 is Leu, Ile, Val, Nle, .alpha.-aminobutyric acid, Trp, Pro, Nal, Chx-Ala, Phe, or p-X-Phe, where X is F, Cl, Br, NO.sub.2, OH or CH.sub.3 ; A.sup.9 is Met, Met-oxide, Leu, Ile, Nle, .alpha.-aminobutyric acid, or Cys; each R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, independently, is H, C.sub.1-12 alkyl, C.sub.7-10 phenylalkyl, or COE.sub.1, where E.sub.1 is C.sub.1-20 alkyl, C.sub.3-20 alkenyl, C.sub.3-20 alkynyl, phenyl, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalkyl, naphthyl, or C.sub.7-10 phenylalkyl; provided that when either R.sub.1 or R.sub.2 is COE.sub.1, the other must be H; and R.sub.3 is OH, NH.sub.2, C.sub.1-12 alkoxy, C.sub.7-10 phenylalkoxy, C.sub.11-20 naphthylalkoxy, C.sub.1-12 alkylamino, C.sub.7-10 phenylalkylamino, C.sub.11-20 naphthylalkylamino; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of such peptides.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.