Patent ID: 8748577

Claim:
A biologically active protein conjugate comprising a biologically active polypeptide coupled via a peptide bond to an amino acid extension comprising from 2 to 75 repeating units of a peptide motif, wherein said peptide motif consists of two residues Asn (N) and one residue of an amino acid selected from the group consisting of Ser (S) and Thr (T), wherein the biologically active polypeptide is human growth hormone SEQ ID NO:2472, granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF; SEQ ID NO:2462), granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF; SEQ ID NOs:2454, 2456, 2458, or 2460), colony stimulating factor (CSF), platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor, (FGF), nerve growth factor (NGF), erythropoietin (EPO; SEQ ID NOs:2452, 2480, or 2481), interferon, interferon gamma inducing factor I (IGIF), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), RANTES (regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed and presumably secreted), macrophage inflammatory protein-1-alpha (MIP-1-α), macrophage inflammatory protein-1-β (MIP-1-β), Leishmania elongation initiating factor (LEIF), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-2 (NT-2), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), neurotrophin-4 (NT-4), neurotrophin-5 (NT-5), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), a soluble tumor necrosis factor (TNF) type II receptor, a soluble tumor necrosis factor (TNF) type I receptor, a soluble IL-1 receptor type II, a soluble IL-4 receptor, a soluble gp120 glycoprotein, a soluble gp160 glycoprotein, an IL-1 receptor antagonist, a coagulation factor, insulin, activated protein C, Factor VII, collagenase, agalsidase-beta, dornase-alpha, alteplase, pegylated-asparaginase, asparaginase, or imiglucerase, and wherein said biologically active protein conjugate has an increased plasma half-life compared to the plasma half-life of the unmodified biologically active polypeptide.