Title:  Continuous low-dose cytokine infusion therapy

United States Patent:  6,461,605

Issued:  October 8, 2002

Inventors:  Cutler; David L. (Morristown, NJ); Affrime; Melton B. (Flemington, NJ)

Assignee:  Schering Corporation (Kenilworth, NJ)

Appl. No.:  104287

Filed:  March 22, 2002

A method is provided for treating conditions that are susceptible of treatment with a cytokine wherein the undesirable side effects normally associated with cytokine administration are diminished or eliminated. The method comprises continuously administering a low dose of a cytokine to an individual afflicted with a condition susceptible of treatment with the cytokine. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, chronic hepatitis C is treated by administering a low dose amount of interferon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

All references cited herein are incorporated in their entirety by reference. The invention is directed to a method of treating conditions that are susceptible of treatment with a cytokine. It has been unexpectedly discovered that continuous administration of low doses of cytokines over a prolonged period of time provides effective therapeutic benefits, while significantly diminishing the undesirable side effects normally associated with conventionally practiced cytokine treatment regimes.

Conditions that can be treated in accordance with the present invention are generally those that are susceptible to cytokine treatment. Cytokine-susceptible conditions include conditions which would respond positively or favorably as these terms are known in the medical arts to cytokine based therapy. For purposes of the invention, conditions that can be treated with cytokine therapy include those conditions in which treatment with a cytokine shows some efficacy, but which may not be treatable with the cytokine because the negative side effects outweigh the benefits of the treatment. For example, side effects accompanying alpha interferon therapy have virtually ruled out treatment of Epstein Barr virus using alpha interferon. Practice of the invention results in substantially reduced or eliminated side effects as compared to conventional interferon treatment.

Cytokines which can be used to practice the invention include but are not limited to interferons, granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte/macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), erythropoietin, thrombopoietin and interleukins. In addition, other therapeutic agents, such as antibodies and fragments thereof (e.g., Fab fragments), soluble cytokine receptors and cytokine receptor antagonists can advantageously be administered in accordance with the practice of the invention.

Cytokines can be used alone or in combination with other cytokines and/or therapeutic agents. For example, interferon can be used alone or in combination with AZT in the treatment of HIV/AIDS or in combination with ribivirin in the treatment of HCV.

While the invention will hereinafter be described in terms of the use of interferon, it is to be understood that the administration of other cytokines, alone or in combination with one or more other therapeutic agents, is encompassed by the invention.

The term "interferon" as used herein means the family of highly homologous species-specific proteins that inhibit viral replication and cellular proliferation and modulate immune response. Human interferons are grouped into three classes based on their cellular, origin and antigenicity: .alpha.-interferon (leukocytes), .beta.-interferon (fibroblasts) and .gamma.-interferon (T cells). Recombinant forms of each group have been developed and are commercially available. Subtypes in each group are based on antigenic/structural characteristics. At least 14 .alpha.-interferons (grouped into subtypes A through H) having distinct amino acid sequences have been identified by isolating and sequencing DNA encoding these peptides. Both naturally occurring and recombinant .alpha.- .beta.- and .gamma.-interferons, including consensus interferon, may be used in the practice of the invention.

The purification of interferon from human leukocytes isolated from the buffy coat fraction of whole blood is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,035. Human leukocyte interferon prepared in this manner contains a mixture of different human leukocyte interferon amino acid sequences. Purified natural human a-interferons and mixtures thereof which may be used in the practice of, the invention include but are not limited to Sumiferon.RTM. interferon alfa-n1 available from Sumitomo, Japan, Wellferon.RTM. interferon alfa-n1 (Ins) available from Glaxo-Wellcome Ltd., London, Great Britain, and Alferon.RTM. interferon alfa-n3 available from the Purdue Frederick Co., Norwalk, Conn.

The advent of recombinant DNA technology applied to interferon production has permitted several human interferons to be successfully synthesized, thereby enabling the large-scale fermentation, production, isolation, and purification of various interferons to homogeneity. Recombinantly produced interferon retains its in vitro and in vivo antiviral and immunomodulatory activities. It is also understood that the recombinant techniques could also include a glycosylation site for addition of a carbohydrate moiety on the recombinantly-derived polypeptide.

The construction of recombinant DNA plasmids containing sequences encoding at least part of human leukocyte interferon and the expression in E. coli of a polypeptide having immunological or biological activity of human leukocyte interferon is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,901. The construction of hybrid .alpha.-interferon genes containing combinations of different subtype sequences (e.g., A and D, A and B, A and F) is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,414,150, 4,456,748 and 4,678,751. Typical suitable recombinant .alpha.-interferons which may be used in the practice of the invention include but are not limited to interferon alfa-2b such as Intron.RTM. A available from Schering Corporation, Kenilworth, N.J., interferon alfa-2a such as Roferon.RTM. A available from Hoffmann-La Roche, Nutley, N.J. and interferon alfa-2c such as Berofor.RTM. available from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceutical, Inc., Ridgefield, Conn. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,695,623 and 4,897,471 disclose human leukocyte interferon polypeptides, referred to as consensus interferon, which have amino acid sequences which include common or predominant amino acids found in each position among naturally-occurring alpha interferon subtype polypeptides. Consensus interferon which may also be used in the practice of the invention is available from Amgen, Inc., Newbury Park, Calif.

Suitable .beta.-interferons which may be used to practice the invention include but are not limited to Betaseron.RTM. interferon beta-1b, a synthetic mutein having a serine substituted for the cysteine residue at position 171 of the native molecule, available from Berlex Laboratories, Richmond, Calif. Suitable .gamma.-interferons which may be used to practice the invention include but are not limited to Actimmune.RTM. recombinant interferon gamma-ib available from Genentech, South San Francisco, Calif.

Exemplary conditions which can be treated with interferon include but are not limited to cell proliferation disorders, in particular cancer (e.g., hairy cell leukemia, Kaposi's sarcoma, chronic myelogenous leukemia, multiple myeloma, basal cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma, ovarian cancer, cutaneous T cell lymphoma), and viral infections. Without limitation, treatment with interferon may be used to treat conditions which would benefit from inhibiting the replication of interferon-sensitive viruses. Viral infections which may be treated in accordance with the invention include hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, other non-A/non-B hepatitis, herpes virus (Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex, human herpes virus type 6 (HHV-6)), papilloma, poxvirus, picornavirus, adenovirus, rhinovirus, human T-lymphotropic virus-type 1 and 2 (HTLV-1/2), human rotavirus, rabies, retroviruses including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), encephalitis and respiratory viral infections. The method of the invention can also be used to modify various immune responses.

Two variants of a-interferon are currently approved in the United States and other countries for the treatment of hairy cell leukemia, venereal warts, Kaposi's Sarcoma, and chronic non-A/non-B hepatitis: interferon alfa-2b, marketed under the trade name INTRON.RTM. A (Schering Corporation, Kenilworth N.J.) and interferon alfa-2a, marketed under the trade name Roferon.RTM. A (Hoffmann-La Roche, Nutley, N.J). Since interferon alpha-2b, among all interferons, has the broadest approval throughout the world for treating chronic hepatitis C infection, it is most preferred for use in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in accordance with practice of the invention.

A person suffering from chronic hepatitis C infection may exhibit one or more of the following signs or symptoms: (a) elevated ALT, (b) positive test for anti-HCV antibodies, (c) presence of HCV as demonstrated by a positive test for HCV-RNA, (d) clinical stigmata of chronic liver disease, (e) hepatocellular damage. Such criteria may not only be used to diagnose hepatitis C, but can be used to evaluate a patient's response to drug treatment.

Elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) are known to occur in uncontrolled hepatitis C, and a complete response to treatment is generally defined as the normalization of these serum enzymes, particularly ALT (Davis et al., 1989, New Eng. J. Med. 321:1501-1506). ALT is an enzyme released when liver cells are destroyed and is symptomatic of HCV infection. Interferon causes synthesis of the enzyme 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (2'5'OAS), which in turn, results in the degradation of the viral mRNA. Houglum, 1983, Clinical Pharmacology 2:20-28. Increases in serum levels of the 2'5'OAS coincide with decrease in ALT levels.

In order to follow the course of HCV replication in subjects in response to drug treatment, HCV RNA may be measured in serum samples by, for example, a nested polymerase chain reaction assay that uses two sets of primers derived from the N53 and N54 non-structural gene regions of the HCV genome. Farci et al., 1991, New Eng. J. Med. 325:98-104. Ulrich et al., 1990, J. Clin. Invest., 86:1609-1614.

Histological examination of liver biopsy samples may be used as a second criteria for evaluation. See, e.g., Knodell et al., 1981, Hepatology 1:431-435, whose Histological Activity Index (portal inflammation, piecemeal or bridging necrosis, lobular injury and fibrosis) provides a scoring method for disease activity.

In the practice of the invention, a low dose of interferon is continuously administered to a mammal, in particular a human patient, exhibiting one of more of the above signs or symptoms in an amount and for a period of time sufficient to eliminate or at least alleviate one or more of the above-mentioned signs or symptoms.

As used herein, a low dose is an amount which for a given period of time is less than or equal to amounts used in traditional bolus or intermittent therapies over such a time period. The terms "continuous administration" and "continuous infusion" are used interchangeably herein and mean maintaining a steady state serum level of interferon throughout the course of the treatment period. This can be accomplished by constantly or repeatedly injecting substantially identical amounts of interferon, e.g., at least every hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, such that a steady state serum level is achieved for the duration of treatment.

Continuous low dose interferon administration may be by subcutaneous or intravenous injection at appropriate intervals, e.g. at least hourly, for an appropriate period of time in an amount which will facilitate or promote in vivo inactivation of hepatitis C virus.

Continuous subcutaneous administration can by accomplished by, for example, a pulsatile electronic syringe driver (Provider Model PA 3000, Pancretec Inc., San Diego Calif.), a portable syringe pump such as the Graseby model MS 1 6A (Graseby Medical Ltd., Watford, Herts England), or a constant infusion pump such as the Disetronic Model Panomat C-S. Osmotic pumps, such as that available from Alza, may also be used. Since use of continuous subcutaneous injections allows the patient to be ambulatory, it is preferred over use of continuous intravenous injections.

Formulations which simulate a constant low dose injection, such as but not limited to long-acting cytokine-polymer conjugates and various-sustained release formulations, are also contemplated for use.

Cytokine conjugates can be prepared by coupling a cytokine, such as interferon, to a water-soluble polymer. A non-limiting list of such polymers include polyalkylene oxide homopolymers such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polypropylene glycols, polyoxyethylenated polyols, copolymers thereof and block copolymers thereof. As an alternative to polyalkylene oxide-based polymers, effectively non-antigenic materials such as dextran, polyvinyl pyrrolidones, polyacrylamides, polyvinyl alcohols, carbohydrate-based polymers and the like can be used. Such interferon-polymer conjugates are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,766,106, 4,917,888, European Patent Application No. 0 236 987, European Patent Application No. 0 510 356 and International Application Publication No. WO 95/13090. Since the polymeric modification sufficiently reduces antigenic responses, the foreign interferon need not be completely autologous. Interferon used to prepare polymer conjugates may be prepared from a mammalian extract, such as human, ruminant or bovine interferon, or recombinantly produced.

Various extended or sustained-release formulations can be prepared using conventional methods well known in the art.

Constant low dose administration may also be accomplished by gene therapy, e.g., by administering an interferon retroviral or other vector so as to produce interferon in vivo.

In general, components of interferon compositions can be selected from among those commonly employed with interferons and other antiproliferative or antiviral agents and which are known to those skilled in the art. Conventional pharmaceutical compositions comprising a therapeutically effective amount of interferon together with pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, adjuvants, diluents, preservatives and/or solubilizers may be used in the practice of the invention, Pharmaceutical compositions of interferon include diluents of various buffers (e.g., Tris-HCl, acetate, phosphate) having a range of pH and ionic strength, carriers (e.g., human serum albumin), solubilizers (e.g., tween, polysorbate), and preservatives (e.g., thimerosol, benzyl alcohol). Pharmaceutical composition of interferon are commercially available as injectable solutions and as lyophilized powders which are reconstituted in an appropriate diluent prior to injection.

Duration of treatment is at least 4 weeks, preferably 12 weeks or longer. For treatment of chronic HCV in accordance with the practice of the invention, a total weekly dose of alpha interferon-2b should range from 2 to 10 million IU, more preferable, 5-10 million IU, most preferably 8-10 million IU per week.

While administration or infusion is to be continuous, frequency of injection of the interferon composition will depend on the form of the composition. It will be understood that injection will be less frequent (e.g., once or twice a week) when using sustained release formulations or long-acting polymer conjugates. A single injection may be sufficient when using viral vectors to express the cytokine in vivo.

As described above, the course of the disease and its response to drug treatments may be followed by clinical examination and laboratory findings. The effectiveness of the therapy of the invention is determined by the extent to which the previously described signs and symptoms of chronic hepatitis are alleviated and the extent to which the normal side effects of interferon (i.e., flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, chills, myalgia, fatigue, etc. and central nervous system related symptoms such as depression, paresthesia, impaired concentration, etc.) are eliminated or substantially reduced.

Claim 1 of 14 Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of treating a hepatitis C viral infection in a human comprising continuously parenterally administering interferon alpha to the human in an amount from about 2 million IU per week to about 10 million IU per week.

 

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