Pharmaceutical Formulations Comprising Incretin Peptide and Aprotic Polar Solvent

1 . A stable pharmaceutical formulation comprising an incretin or incretin mimetic peptide and at least one aprotic, polar solvent.

2 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 , wherein the incretin or incretin mimetic peptide is selected from the group consisting of: a glucagon-like-peptide 1 (GLP-1) peptide and an exendin peptide or an analog thereof.

3 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 , wherein the exendin peptide is exendin-4 or an analog thereof.

4 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 , wherein the at least one aprotic, polar solvent is selected from the group consisting of: dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), dimethylformamide (DMF), ethyl acetate, n-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethylacetamide (DMA), propylene carbonate, and mixtures thereof.

5 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 4 , wherein the at least one aprotic, polar solvent is DMSO.

6 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 further comprising at least one stabilizing excipient, additive or solvent.

7 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 6 , wherein the at least one stabilizing excipient, additive or solvent is capable of depressing the freezing point of the aprotic, polar solvent to about 0° C. or below.

8 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 7 , wherein the at least one stabilizing excipient, additive or solvent capable of depressing the freezing point of the aprotic, polar solvent is selected from the group consisting of: water, a sugar, and a sugar alcohol.

9 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 8 , wherein the aprotic, polar solvent is DMSO, wherein the at least one stabilizing excipient, additive or solvent capable of depressing the freezing point of the aprotic, polar solvent is water, and the water and DMSO form a co-solvent comprising 10% w/w water (0.67 mole fraction DMSO).

10 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 6 , wherein the at least one stabilizing excipient is capable of stabilizing the conformation of the incretin or incretin mimetic peptide.

11 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 6 , wherein the incretin peptide comprises one or more amino acid residues selected from the group consisting of: asparagine, glutamine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, methionine, cysteine, tryptophan, tyrosine, histidine, lysine, and arginine, and the aprotic, polar solvent and/or the at least one stabilizing excipient stabilizes the amino acid residue from degradation.

12 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 11 , wherein the amino acid residue is selected from the group consisting of: asparagine and glutamine, and the aprotic, polar solvent and/or the at least one stabilizing excipient stabilizes the amino acid residue against degradation by reducing or preventing the formation of cyclic imide or other degradation products of asparagine and glutamine amino acid residues.

13 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 , further comprising at least one non-aqueous protic solvent.

14 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 13 , wherein the non-aqueous protic solvent is selected from the group consisting of: polyethylene glycol (PEG), propylene glycol (PG), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), methoxypropylene glycol (MPEG), glycerol, glycofurol, and mixtures thereof.

15 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 , further comprising a buffer.

16 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 15 , wherein the buffer is an acetate buffer.

17 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 , further comprising an antioxidant.

18 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 17 , wherein the antioxidant is selected from at least one of the group consisting of: ascorbic acid, cysteine, methionine, monothioglycerol, sodium thiosulphate, sulfites, BHT, BHA, ascorbyl palmitate, propyl gallate, and Vitamin E.

19 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 , further comprising a chelator.

20 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 19 , wherein the chelator is selected from at least one of the group consisting of EDTA, tartaric acid and salts thereof, glycerin, and citric acid and salts thereof.

21 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 , further comprising a sugar, a sugar alcohol, or a non-aqueous solvent.

22 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim of claim 21 , wherein the non-aqueous solvent is at least one selected from the group consisting of ethanol, glycerin, propylene glycol, and polyethylene glycol.

23 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 , further comprising a preservative.

24 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 23 , wherein in the preservative is selected from at least one of the group consisting of benzyl alcohols, methyl parabens and propyl parabens.

25 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 further comprising a thermo-responsive polymer that does not gel at a temperature from about 30° C. to about 37° C.

26 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 , wherein said incretin or incretin mimetic is complexed with zinc to form a zinc complex.

27 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 26 , wherein the zinc complex comprises a GLP-1 or an analog thereof.

28 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 26 , wherein the zinc complex comprises an exendin or an analog thereof.

29 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 wherein the zinc complex comprises an exendin-4 zinc complex.

30 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 26 , wherein the zinc complex is dispersed in the solvent.

31 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 , wherein the formulation has a viscosity of from about 0.25 cP to about 1,000,000 cP.

32 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 , wherein the formulation has a pH at or below the pI of the incretin or incretin mimetic.

33 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 , wherein the formulation has a pH of from about pH 4.0 to about pH 7.5.

34 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 , wherein the formulation has a pH of from about pH 4.0 to about pH 6.0.

35 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 34 , wherein the formulation has a pH of about 4.5.

36 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 , wherein the incretin or incretin mimetic is present at a concentration from about 0.1 mg/ml up to the solubility limit of the incretin peptide in the formulation.

37 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 , wherein the incretin or incretin mimetic is present at a concentration from about 1 mg/ml to about 100 mg/ml.

38 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 , wherein said formulation is further lyophilized.

39 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 38 , wherein the lyophilized formulation is reconstituted prior to use.

40 . The stable pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 , wherein the peptide was lyophilized from a solution with a pH ranging from about pH 4 to about pH 6.

41 . A method for treating a disease, condition or disorder that may be treated, alleviated or prevented by administering to a subject the pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 in an amount effective to treat, alleviate or prevent the disease, condition or disorder.

42 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the disease, condition or disorder comprises glucose intolerance or diabetes mellitus.

43 . The method of claim 42 , wherein the disease, condition or disorder is diabetes mellitus.

44 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the disease, condition or disorder is type 2 diabetes.

45 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the administration is parenteral administration.

46 . The method of claim 45 , wherein said administration is continuous administration.

47 . The method of claim 46 , wherein said administration is accomplished via use of an implantable or attachable pump drug delivery device.

48 . The method of claim 46 , wherein said administration is continuous for a period ranging from about 1 month to about 6 months.

49 . The method of claim 45 , wherein said administration is accomplished via use of a pen injection device.

50 . The use of the pharmaceutical formulation of claim 1 for the treatment of a disease, condition or disorder that may be treated, alleviated or prevented by administering an incretin or an incretin mimetic.

51 . The use of claim 50 , wherein the disease, condition or disorder comprises glucose intolerance or diabetes mellitus.

52 . The use of claim 51 , wherein the disease, condition or disorder is diabetes mellitus.

53 . The use of claim 52 , wherein the disease, condition or disorder is type 2 diabetes.

54 . The use of claim 50 , wherein the administration is parenteral administration.

55 . The use of claim 54 , wherein said administration is continuous administration.

56 . The use of claim 55 , wherein said administration is accomplished via use of an implantable or attachable pump drug delivery device.

57 . The use of claim 55 , wherein said administration is continuous for a period ranging from about 1 month to about 6 months.

58 . The use of claim 54 , wherein said administration is accomplished via use of a pen injection device.