Patent ID: 8586531

Claim:
A chimeric polypeptide comprising a hybrid human Fc; and an EPO, a variant or fragment thereof, coupled to the hybrid human Fc, wherein said hybrid human Fc is represented by the following formula: N′-(Z1) p -Y-Z2-Z3-Z4-C′ wherein: N′ is the N-terminus and C′ is the C-terminus of the hybrid human Fc, Y is an amino acid sequence consisting of 5 or more consecutive amino acid residues starting from the C-terminal of the sequence of positions 99 to 162 of SEQ ID NO: 14; Z2 is an amino acid sequence consisting of 4 or more consecutive amino acid residues starting from the N-terminal of the sequence of positions 163 to 199 of SEQ ID NO: 14; Z3 is an amino acid sequence consisting of 71 or more consecutive amino acid residues starting from the C-terminal of the sequence of positions 115 to 220 of SEQ ID NO: 13; Z4 is an amino acid sequence consisting of 80 or more consecutive amino acid residues starting from the N-terminal of the sequence of positions 221 to 327 of SEQ ID NO: 13; Z1 is an amino acid sequence consisting of 5 or more consecutive amino acid residues starting from the C-terminal of the sequence of positions 90 to 98 of (i) SEQ ID NO: 11 or (ii) SEQ ID NO: 14; and p is an integer of 0 or 1, wherein the total number of the amino acid residues for Z2 and Z3 is between 80 and 140, both inclusive; and wherein the total number of the amino acid residues for the polypeptide is between 154 and 288, both inclusive; and wherein the EPO, its variant or fragment is fused at the N-terminus or the C-terminus of the hybrid human Fc, and wherein said EPO, its variant or fragment fused to said hybrid human Fc shows an increased circulating half-life compared to the circulating half-life of said EPO, its variant or fragment without being fused to hybrid human Fc, and possesses EPO activity.