Stabilization of Fc-interferon-beta fusion proteins
AssigneeMerck Patent GmbH
InventorsStephen D. Gillies, Nigel John Watkins, Matthew Paul Baker, Kin-Ming Lo, Steven C. Degon
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Abstract
Disclosed are Fc-interferon-beta (Fc-IFN-β) fusion proteins and nucleic acid molecules encoding them. The Fc-IFN-β fusion proteins include variants of the interferon-beta (IFN-β) protein that are altered to achieve enhanced biological activity, prolonged circulating half-life and greater solubility. Also disclosed are methods of producing the fusion proteins and methods of using the fusion proteins and/or nucleic acid molecules for treating diseases and conditions alleviated by the administration of interferon-beta.
Claims14
A method of stabilizing an Fc-interferon-β fusion protein comprising the step of making an Fc-interferon-β fusion protein, the Fc-interferon-β fusion protein comprising:
- an immunoglobulin Fc region;
- and
- a human interferon-β protein linked by a peptide bond or a peptide linker sequence to the carboxy-terminus of the immunoglobulin Fc region,
- wherein the interferon-β protein has the amino acid substitutions:
- C17S and F50H and H131A, and either H140T or H140A;
- or
- C17S and L57A and H131A, and either H140T or H140A,
- wherein said substitutions correspond to positions in mature, full-length human interferon-β.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.