Patent ID: 8497356

Claim:
A method of making polypeptide-polymer conjugates, having one or more altered pharmacological properties, from a plurality of polypeptides having N-termini and C-termini, the method comprising: a) contacting the plurality of polypeptides with an initiator agent under conditions that permit attachment of the initiator agent to at least one of the N-terminus and the C-terminus; and b) incubating the plurality of polypeptides with a monomer under conditions that permit polymerization to occur from the initiator agent to form a plurality of polypeptide-polymer conjugates, such that at least about 10% of the polypeptides have a conjugated polymer initiated from at least one of the N-terminus and the C-terminus, wherein the plurality of polypeptide-polymer conjugates have an altered pharmacological property selected from the group consisting of (i) an in vivo half-life that is at least 25% greater compared with the in vivo half life of the plurality of polypeptides lacking polymer conjugates; (ii) an in vivo biodistribution to a tissue, organ or disease site that is at least 25% greater than the in vivo biodistribution of the plurality of polypeptides lacking polymer conjugates; and (iii) combinations thereof; and wherein the polymerization comprises a polymerization reaction selected from the group consisting of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT), ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), and combinations thereof.