Patent ID: 8840879

Claim:
A conjugate comprising a protein and a polymer derivative, wherein the polymer is a hydroxyalkyl starch (HAS) and the protein is selected from the group consisting of IFN beta, GM-CSF, APC, tPA, A1AT, AT III, factor VII, factor VIII, and factor IX, said conjugate having a structure according to the formula wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are independently hydrogen or a hydroxyalkyl group, or hydrogen or a hydroxyethyl group, wherein, in the conjugate, HAS is bonded at its non-oxidized reducing end to a bifunctional linking compound, and the bifunctional linking compound is bonded to an oxidized carbohydrate side chain or an oxidized N-terminal group of the protein, wherein HAS′ is the remaining part of the starch molecule HAS, and wherein L is a substituted or unsubstituted, linear, branched and/or cyclic hydrocarbon residue, optionally comprising at least one heteroatom.