Patent ID: 8367612

Claim:
A method for treating a growth hormone deficiency comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of human growth hormone (hGH), having at least one non-natural amino acid in the N-terminal or C-terminal regions of human growth hormone (hGH), wherein the at least one non-natural amino acid has the structure: wherein: A is phenylene; B is a bond; R is alkyl; R 3 and R 4 are H; R 1 is H, an amino protecting group, or at least one amino acid of human growth hormone (hGH); and R 2 is OH, an ester protecting group, or at least one amino acid of human growth hormone (hGH); R 5 is L-X, where X is a polyalkylene glycol; and L is optional, and when present is a linker selected from the group consisting of alkylene, substituted alkylene, alkenylene, substituted alkenylene, —O-(alkylene or substituted alkylene)-, —S-(alkylene or substituted alkylene)-, —S(O) k (alkylene or substituted alkylene)-, —C(O)—, —C(O)-(alkylene or substituted alkylene)-, —C(S)—, —C(S)-(alkylene or substituted alkylene)-, —NR′-(alkylene or substituted alkylene)-, —C(O)N(R′)—, —CON(R′)-(alkylene or substituted alkylene)-, —CSN(R′)—, —CSN(R′)-(alkylene or substituted alkylene)-, —N(R′)CO-(alkylene or substituted alkylene)-, -(alkylene or substituted alkylene)-O—N═CR′—, -(alkylene or substituted alkylene)-C(O)NR′-(alkylene or substituted alkylene)-, -(alkylene or substituted alkylene)-S(O) k -(alkylene or substituted alkylene)-S—, -(alkylene or substituted alkylene)-S—S—, —C(R′)═N—, —C(R′)═N—N(R′)—, —C(R′)═N—N═, —C(R′) 2 —N═N—, and —C(R′) 2 —N(R′)—N(R′)—, where each R′ is independently H, alkyl, or substituted alkyl; and k is 1 or 2.