Mutant FGF-21 peptide pegylated conjugates and uses thereof

1. A mutant Fibroblast Growth Factor-21 (FGF-21) peptide conjugate comprising

i) a mutant FGF-21 peptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2,

ii) a glycosyl moiety, and

iii) a 20 kDa polyethylene glycol (PEG),

wherein the mutant FGF-21 peptide is attached to the glycosyl moiety by a covalent bond between a threonine at amino acid position 173 of SEQ ID NO: 2 and a first site of the glycosyl moiety and wherein the glycosyl moiety is attached to the 20 kDa PEG by a covalent bond between a second site of the glycosyl moiety and the 20 kDa PEG; or a pharmaceutical composition comprising the mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

2. The mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein the glycosyl moiety comprises at least one of an N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) residue, a galactose (Gal) residue, a sialic acid (Sia) residue, a 5-amine analogue of a Sia residue, a mannose (Man) residue, mannosamine, a glucose (Glc) residue, an N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residue, a fucose residue, a xylose residue, or a combination thereof.

3. The mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein the glycosyl moiety comprises at least one of an N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) residue, a galactose (Gal) residue, a sialic acid (Sia), or a combination thereof.

4. The mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one Sia residue is a nine-carbon carboxylated sugar.

5. The mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one Sia residue is N-acetyl-neuraminic acid (2-keto-5-acetamido-3,5-dideoxy-D-glycero-D-galactononulopyranos-1-onic acid (Neu5Ac), N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), 2-keto-3-deoxy-nonulosonic acid (KDN), or a 9-substituted sialic acid.

6. The mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate according to claim 5 , wherein the 9-substituted sialic acid is 9-O-lactyl-Neu5Ac, 9-O-acetyl-Neu5Ac, 9-deoxy-9-fluoro-Neu5Ac, or 9-azido-9-deoxy-Neu5Ac.

7. The mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein the glycosyl moiety comprises the structure

-GalNAc-Sia-.

8. The mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein the 20 kDa PEG moiety is attached to the glycosyl moiety by a covalent bond to a linker, wherein the linker comprises at least one amino acid residue.

9. The mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one amino acid residue is a glycine (Gly).

10. The mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate according to claim 1 comprising the structure

-GalNAc-Sia-Gly-PEG(20 kDa).

11. The mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate according to claim 1 , comprising the structure:

wherein n is an integer selected from 450 to 460.

12. The mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein the 20 kDa PEG is a linear or branched PEG.

13. The mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate according to claim 1 , wherein the 20 kDa PEG is a 20 kDa methoxy-PEG.

14. A method of producing the mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of:

(1) recombinantly producing the mutant FGF-21 peptide in an expression host; and

(2) enzymatically attaching to the mutant FGF-21 peptide of step (1) a PEG-glycosyl moiety, wherein the PEG has 20 kDa, thereby forming the mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate.

15. A method for reducing blood glucose in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject in need thereof an amount of the mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate according to claim 1 or the pharmaceutical composition according to claim 1 .

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the subject in need thereof has a disease comprising at least one of diabetes type 2, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), or metabolic syndrome.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the subject is a human subject.

18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the administering reduces HbA1C levels, wherein reducing HbA1C levels is indicative of a durable reduction in blood glucose levels over time.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate is administered once a week or once every two weeks.

20. A method for reducing HbA1C in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject in need thereof an amount of the mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate according to claim 1 or the pharmaceutical composition according to claim 1 .

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the subject in need thereof has a disease comprising at least one of diabetes type 2, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), or metabolic syndrome.

22. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the subject is a human subject.

23. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the administering reduces HbA1C levels, wherein reducing HbA1C levels is indicative of a durable reduction in blood glucose levels over time.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate is administered once a week or once every two weeks.

25. A method for treating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or metabolic syndrome, comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an amount of the mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate according to claim 1 or the pharmaceutical composition according to claim 1 .

26. The method according to claim 25 , wherein the subject is a human subject.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the mutant FGF-21 peptide conjugate is administered once a week or once every two weeks.