Patent ID: 7799759

Claim:
A method of extending the shelf life of GLP-1 polypeptides, comprising the step of fusing two or more GLP-1 polypeptides to albumin comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1038, albumin fragment, or albumin variant thereof, and producing the albumin fusion protein, wherein said albumin fusion protein is sufficient to extend the shelf-life of the GLP-1 polypeptides compared to the shelf-life of the GLP-1 polypeptides in an unfused state, wherein said GLP-1 polypeptides are selected from wild-type GLP-1, GLP-1 fragments, and GLP-1 variants, and wherein the albumin fusion protein has GLP-1 activity, and further wherein the two or more GLP-1 polypeptides are fused at the N-terminus and/or the C-terminus of albumin.