Fluorocarbon-linked peptide formulation
The invention provides an aqueous acidic formulation suitable for use as in the preparation of a pharmaceutically acceptable fluorocarbon-linked peptide formulation, which aqueous formulation comprises a first fluorocarbon-linked peptide, wherein: the peptide linked to the fluorocarbon is at least 20 amino acid residues long, comprises at least 50% hydrophobic amino acid residues and has an isoelectric point greater than or equal to 7; and the fluorocarbon-linked peptide is present in micelles.
1. A method of inducing an immune response in a mammal, comprising:
administering to a mammal a pharmaceutically acceptable filter sterilized homogenous aqueous solution comprising one or more fluorocarbon-linked peptides; the one or more of the fluorocarbon-linked peptides comprising 20 to 50 amino acid residues linked to a fluorocarbon, at least 50% hydrophobic amino acid residues, an isoelectric point greater than or equal to 7, and one or more T cell epitopes, not comprising a contiguous sequence of 20 amino acid residues comprising more than 80% hydrophobic amino acid residues, and being present in micelles.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more T cell epitopes are from a pathogen, an autoimmune protein, an allergen or a tumor antigen.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution is administered by injection.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the aqueous solution is administered by parenteral, subcutaneous, epidermal, intradermal, intramuscular, interarterial, intraperitoneal, or by intravenous injection.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution is administered orally or topically to skin or mucosal tissue.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution is provided as a finely divided spray and administered by pulmonary or respiratory routes.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises a histidine buffer solution, or phosphate buffered saline.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluorocarbon comprises a chain from 3 to 20 carbon atoms, wherein one or more fluorine moieties is optionally replaced with a halogen moiety of Cl, Br, or I; a methyl group; or a hydrogen.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluorocarbon comprises the formula C 8 F 17 (CH 2 ) 2 .
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more fluorocarbon-linked peptides are present in micelles with a diameter of less than 0.22 μm.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the immune response is measured using an ex vivo IFN-γ ELISpot assay.